Kagame hints at seeking fourth term as Rwandan president

Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, has hinted at seeking a fourth term office in 2024.

Kagame has been the leader of Rwanda since 1994 after his Patriotic Front Party helped to end the genocide in the country.

He disclosed his plans for the 2024 elections during an interview with journalists on Friday.

“I consider running for another 20 years. I have no problem with that, elections are about people choosing,” BBC quoted him as saying.

The announcement is a u-turn from his comments in 2019 when he said he would not be interested in the presidential office come 2024.

Speaking at a summit in Doha, Kagame had said he was likely to step down after his tenure ends and have some “breathing space”.

“Most likely no. I want to have some breathing space but given how things are and how they have been in the past, I have made up my mind where I am personally concerned, that it is not going to happen next time,” he had said.

Kagame won Rwanda’s 2017 presidential election with 99 percent of the vote.

Since becoming president, he has been instrumental in transforming Rwanda and positioning the country as a hub for development, however, his critics say he maintains a tight grip over what they term an authoritarian regime.