Rwanda's presidential history: From independence to present day

The President of Rwanda holds the authority to appoint the prime minister and all other members of the Cabinet.

Since the establishment of the office, five individuals have served as President of Rwanda. The current president, Paul Kagame, has been in office since April 22, 2000, after briefly serving as acting president.

Initially, the Rwandan Constitution imposed a two-term limit on the presidency. However, a constitutional referendum in December 2015 amended this rule, allowing Paul Kagame to run for a third seven-year term and potentially for two additional five-year terms thereafter.

Grégoire Kayibanda (1962-1973) 

Grégoire Kayibanda was Rwanda’s first elected president, serving from July 1, 1962, until his deposition on July 5, 1973. Elected in 1965 and 1969, Kayibanda, an ethnic Hutu, was a pivotal figure in Rwanda’s revolution and its struggle for independence from Belgium. He played a crucial role in transitioning Rwanda from a Tutsi monarchy to a republic, marking the beginning of Hutu political dominance in the country.

Juvénal Habyarimana (1973-1994)

Juvénal Habyarimana, also an ethnic Hutu, took office on July 5, 1973, after overthrowing Kayibanda in a coup. He served as president for nearly 21 years until his assassination on April 6, 1994. Habyarimana, who previously held several security positions, including Minister of Defense, continued Kayibanda’s pro-Hutu policies. His presidency was marked by dictatorial rule and electoral fraud, with suspiciously high vote percentages in the 1978, 1983, and 1988 elections.

Théodore Sindikubwabo (1994)

Théodore Sindikubwabo briefly held the office of head of state from April 8, 1994, until his ousting on July 19, 1994. His short tenure of 102 days occurred during a period of intense turmoil and violence in Rwanda.

Pasteur Bizimungu (1994-2000)

Pasteur Bizimungu took office on July 19, 1994, and served until his resignation on March 23, 2000. His presidency lasted for 5 years and 248 days, during which he attempted to lead the country through the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.

Paul Kagame (2000-present)  

Paul Kagame, a former military leader, has been the President of Rwanda since 2000. At 66 years old, Kagame first came to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which played a crucial role in ending the 1994 genocide that resulted in the deaths of 800,000 to one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Kagame was Rwanda's vice president and de facto leader from 1994 to 2000, after which he officially became president. Kagame has been re-elected multiple times (2000, 2003, 2010, 2017) and is largely unchallenged in his leadership. His presidency has seen significant controversy regarding electoral fairness, with landslide victories in elections criticized by rights groups and observers. In the 2017 election, he received over 98% of the vote. The referendum lifted the previous constitutional limit on presidential terms, allowing Kagame to potentially remain in power until 2034.