This article lists the presidents of Rwanda since the creation of the office in 1961 (during the Rwandan Revolution), to the present day.
President of the Republic of Rwanda | |
---|---|
Style | Mr President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic) |
Type | Head of state Executive president |
Residence | Village Urugwiro |
Seat | Kigali |
Appointer | Popular vote |
Term length | 5 years |
Formation | 28 January 1961 |
First holder | Dominique Mbonyumutwa |
Salary | US$85,000 annually[1] |
Website | https://www.gov.rw/president |
The president of Rwanda is the head of state and head of executive[2] of the Republic of Rwanda. The president is elected every seven years by popular vote,[3] and appoints the prime minister and all other members of Cabinet.[4]
A total of 4 people have served in the office. The incumbent president is Paul Kagame, who took office on 22 April 2000, after being acting president for nearly a month.
Term limits edit
There was a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Rwanda. The constitutional referendum in 2015 allowed Paul Kagame third seven-year term, and ability to run for further two five-year terms thereafter.[5]
List of officeholders edit
- Political parties
- Other factions
- Status
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Elected | Term of office | Ethnic group | Political party | Prime minister(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
Republic of Rwanda (part of Ruanda-Urundi) | |||||||||
– | Dominique Mbonyumutwa (1921–1986) |
— | 28 January 1961 | 26 October 1961 | 271 days | Hutu | Parmehutu | Kayibanda | |
1 | Grégoire Kayibanda (1924–1976) |
1961 | 26 October 1961 | 1 July 1962 | 248 days | Hutu | Parmehutu | Himself | |
Republic of Rwanda (independent country) | |||||||||
(1) | Grégoire Kayibanda (1924–1976) |
1965 1969 |
1 July 1962 | 5 July 1973 (deposed.) |
11 years, 4 days | Hutu | Parmehutu | Position abolished | |
2 | Juvénal Habyarimana (1937–1994) [a] |
1978 1983 1988 |
5 July 1973 | 6 April 1994 (assassinated.) |
20 years, 275 days | Hutu | Military / MRND |
Nsanzimana Nsengiyaremye Uwilingiyimana | |
– | Théodore Sindikubwabo (1928–1998) |
— | 8 April 1994 | 19 July 1994 (ousted.) [b] |
102 days | Hutu | MRND | Kambanda | |
3 | Pasteur Bizimungu (born 1950) |
— | 19 July 1994 | 23 March 2000 (resigned.) |
5 years, 248 days | Hutu | RPF | Twagiramungu Rwigema Makuza | |
4 | Paul Kagame (born 1957) |
2000 2003 2010 2017 |
24 March 2000 | 22 April 2000 | 29 days | Tutsi | RPF | Makuza Habumuremyi Murekezi Ngirente | |
22 April 2000 | Incumbent | 24 years, 49 days |
Timeline edit
Latest election edit
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Kagame | Rwandan Patriotic Front | 6,675,472 | 98.79 | |
Philippe Mpayimana | Independent | 49,031 | 0.73 | |
Frank Habineza | Democratic Green Party of Rwanda | 32,701 | 0.48 | |
Total | 6,757,204 | 100.00 | ||
Valid votes | 6,757,204 | 99.82 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 12,310 | 0.18 | ||
Total votes | 6,769,514 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 6,897,076 | 98.15 | ||
Source: NEC Rwanda |
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ Styled as Chairman of the Committee for Peace and National Unity until 1 August 1973.
- ^ Fled to Zaire at the end of the Rwandan Civil War and the Rwandan genocide.
References edit
- ^ "Top 15 Highest Paid African Presidents 2017". 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ CJCR 2003, article 117.
- ^ CJCR 2003, articles 100–101.
- ^ CJCR 2003, article 116.
- ^ Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
- Commission Juridique Et Constitutionnelle Du Rwanda (CJCR) (26 May 2003). "Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda". Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2015.