Kagame casts doubt on fourth term in office

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has cast doubt as to whether he will run for a fourth term in the 2024 elections, Bloomberg reports.  

Kagame has been president since 2000 and won a controversial third term in 2017 after the two-term constitutional limit was lifted. He secured 99% of the vote. 

Answering a question at a meeting in Doha about potentially running for office again, Bloomberg records Mr Kagame as responding:

“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”. 

But in 2012, the president also ruled out re-election, before going on to win a third term. 

Speaking to the World Policy Journal at the time, Mr Kagame assured the press “We have the constitution in place. We have term limits. I’m serving my second and last term. I’m just hoping that another suitable person will come and continue with the work we are doing and not reverse it or break it up”. 

Photo credit: The Chronicles