List of presidents of Rwanda

President of the Republic of Rwanda
President of the Republic of Rwanda
Perezida wa Repubulika y’u Rwanda (Kinyarwanda); Rais wa Jamhuri ya Rwanda (Swahili); Président de la République du Rwanda (French)
	Presidential Standard
	Incumbent; Paul Kagame; since 22 April 2000 ; Acting: 24 March – 22 April 2000
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, renewable once
Formation	28 January 1961; 64 years ago
First holder	Dominique Mbonyumutwa
Salary	US$85,000 annually
Website	https://www.gov.rw/president

This article lists the presidents of Rwanda since the creation of the office in 1961 (during the Rwandan Revolution), to the present day.

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 four 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

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

Political parties

Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (Parmehutu)

National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND)

Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)

Status

Denotes acting president

List of presidents of Rwanda
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Ethnic group	Political party		Prime minister(s)	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ethnic group	Political party		Prime minister(s)	Ref.
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 in coup)	11 years, 4 days	Hutu		Parmehutu	Position abolished	^[6]^[7]
2		Juvénal Habyarimana (1937–1994) ^[a]	1978 1983 1988	5 July 1973	6 April 1994 (Assassinated)	20 years, 275 days	Hutu		MRND / Military	Nsanzimana Nsengiyaremye Uwilingiyimana	^[8]
—		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	^[9]
4		Paul Kagame (born 1957)	—	24 March 2000	22 April 2000	24 years, 313 days	Tutsi		RPF	Makuza Habumuremyi Murekezi Ngirente	^[10]
4		Paul Kagame (born 1957)	2003 2010 2017 2024	22 April 2000	Incumbent	24 years, 313 days	Tutsi		RPF	Makuza Habumuremyi Murekezi Ngirente	^[10]

Timeline

Latest election


Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Paul Kagame	Rwandan Patriotic Front	8,822,794	99.18
	Frank Habineza	Democratic Green Party	44,479	0.50
	Philippe Mpayimana	Independent	28,466	0.32
Total			8,895,739	100.00

Valid votes			8,895,739	99.86
Invalid/blank votes			12,137	0.14
Total votes			8,907,876	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			9,071,157	98.20
Source: NEC

Notes

^ 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

^ "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.
^ "Military Coup in Rwanda Follows Tribal Dissension". The New York Times. Associated Press. 6 July 1973. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ "Mission d'information sur le Rwanda" (in French). Celui-ci s'était construit sur la destruction de la Première République. Entre 1974 et 1977, 56 personnes, pour la plupart d'anciens dirigeants de la Première République, avaient été assassinés par les services de la sécurité. Le premier Président rwandais, Grégoire Kayibanda, était mort en détention en 1976, probablement de faim.
^ Ronald Sullivan (7 April 1994). "Juvenal Habyarimana, 57, Ruled Rwanda for 21 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
^ "Rwanda President Resigns". The New York Times. 24 March 2000. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
^ Declan Walsh (6 April 2024). "From the Horror to the Envy of Africa: Rwanda's Leader Holds Tight Grip". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2024.

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.

External links

World Statesmen – Rwanda

[8] Styled as Chairman of the Committee for Peace and National Unity until 1 August 1973.

[10] Fled to Zaire at the end of the Rwandan Civil War and the Rwandan genocide.

[africaranking.com-1] "Top 15 Highest Paid African Presidents 2017". 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2020.

[FOOTNOTECJCR2003article_117-2] CJCR 2003, article 117.

[FOOTNOTECJCR2003articles_100–101-3] CJCR 2003, articles 100–101.

[FOOTNOTECJCR2003article_116-4] CJCR 2003, article 116.

[termlimits-5] Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

[6] "Military Coup in Rwanda Follows Tribal Dissension". The New York Times. Associated Press. 6 July 1973. Retrieved 13 July 2024.

[7] "Mission d'information sur le Rwanda" (in French). Celui-ci s'était construit sur la destruction de la Première République. Entre 1974 et 1977, 56 personnes, pour la plupart d'anciens dirigeants de la Première République, avaient été assassinés par les services de la sécurité. Le premier Président rwandais, Grégoire Kayibanda, était mort en détention en 1976, probablement de faim.

[9] Ronald Sullivan (7 April 1994). "Juvenal Habyarimana, 57, Ruled Rwanda for 21 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2024.

[11] "Rwanda President Resigns". The New York Times. 24 March 2000. Retrieved 12 July 2024.

[12] Declan Walsh (6 April 2024). "From the Horror to the Envy of Africa: Rwanda's Leader Holds Tight Grip". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2024.

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