List of presidents of Rwanda

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

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	Five years, renewable
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Rwanda (2003)
Formation	28 January 1961; 64 years ago (1961-01-28)
First holder	Dominique Mbonyumutwa
Salary	US$85,000 annually[1]
Website	Official Website

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.
					Took office	Left office	Time in office
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	Position abolished (until 1991) Nsanzimana Nsengiyaremye Uwilingiyimana	[8]
Vacant (6 April 1994 – 8 April 1994)
—			Théodore Sindikubwabo‡ (1928–1998) [b]	—	8 April 1994	19 July 1994 (Ousted) [c]	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	25 years, 56 days	Tutsi	RPF	Makuza Habumuremyi Murekezi Ngirente	[10]
				2003 2010 2017 2024	22 April 2000	Incumbent

Timeline

Latest election

Main article: 2024 Rwandan general 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

See also

• Africa portal

• Politics of Rwanda
• List of kings of Rwanda
• Vice President of Rwanda
• Prime Minister of Rwanda
• List of colonial governors of Ruanda-Urundi
  • List of colonial residents of Rwanda

Notes

1. Styled as Chairman of the Committee for Peace and National Unity until 1 August 1973.
2. After the assassination of Habyarimana, Colonel Théoneste Bagosora along with Colonel Rwagafilita gathered supporters and convened a meeting of a Crisis Committee; Sindikubwabo was installed as interim President at the meeting. The committee was officially dissolved, but Bagosora and other senior officers remained de facto leaders of the country during Sindikubwabo's term.
3. Fled to Zaire at the end of the Rwandan Civil War and the Rwandan genocide.