As campaigns heat up in Rwanda, President Paul Kagame, who has been in power for 23 years, faces two main challengers in the upcoming election. While Kagame is well-known, the two other candidates, Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana, are also vying for the presidency, presenting distinct alternatives to Kagame’s long-standing rule.
Paul Kagame has been at the helm of the Rwandan Patriotic Front since 1998 and has won previous elections in 2003, 2010, and 2017 with more than 90 percent of the vote. Critics and rights groups accuse him of ruling through a climate of fear that stifles dissent and free speech. In April, the Liberal Party (PL) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) endorsed Kagame, joining four smaller parties already in coalition with his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
Frank Habineza
Frank Habineza, leader of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, is Kagame’s most notable opponent. The Democratic Green Party, registered in 2013, is Rwanda’s only permitted critical opposition party and won two seats in parliament for the first time in 2018. Habineza’s platform focuses on food security, reducing poverty, and improving human rights and free speech. He has been an outspoken critic of the controversial deal between Kigali and London to send UK-bound migrants to Rwanda.
Habineza’s political journey has been fraught with danger. The body of his party’s vice president, Andre Rwisereka, was found nearly decapitated before the 2010 polls, a murder that remains unsolved. Habineza fled to Sweden soon after but returned to Rwanda in 2012 to continue his political work. He gave up his Swedish citizenship to run in the 2017 election and has remained committed to challenging Kagame’s rule despite the risks.
Philippe Mpayimana
Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate and former journalist, is another contender. Having lived in exile since 1994, mainly in France and Belgium, Mpayimana fled Rwanda during the genocide as Kagame’s RPF advanced on Kigali. He authored a book on his experiences, “Réfugiés Rwandais, entre marteau et enclume,” and has lived in Europe for most of his life.
Mpayimana aims to attract votes from the diaspora and believes that the stability of a country depends on the alternation of power. He pledges to continue Kagame’s efforts in the agricultural sector and to improve living standards by providing free water for all. Additionally, he plans to tackle population growth with a proposed three-child policy, limiting free social amenities to families with no more than three children.
