Rwandan court to determine eligibility of Kagame challenger

A Rwandan court is expected to decide today on the eligibility of Frank Habineza to run in the country’s July presidential elections.

Habineza would be the only significant challenger to incumbent Paul Kagame, in power since winning the 2003 elections. Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) has also been in power in the country since the end of the Rwanda genocide. Victoire Ingabire, another potential challenger was blocked from running due to a past criminal conviction on terrorism.

Regardless of whether Habineza is allowed to run, Kagama is almost guaranteed another term due to crackdowns on freedom of expression and against political opponents. As a result, the rule from the RPF is likely to remain a constant in the country for the foreseeable future. On the international stage, Kagame will continue to present Rwanda’s relative stability and recovery after the genocide as one of his key achievements.