A Rwanda National Electoral Commission official marks votes on a tally sheet after polls closed in the general election, at a polling station in Kigali, July 15, 2024. Incumbent President Paul Kagame won an overwhelming victory, results showed. Photo: AFP

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has secured a decisive victory in the country’s presidential election, winning 99% of the vote according to preliminary results released late Monday evening.

The country’s electoral body reported that Kagame had garnered 99% of the 79% of ballots counted so far.

Kagame, who has held power in various roles since 1994, achieved a similar victory in the 2017 elections.

Starting at 7 a.m. local time Monday, voters patiently lined up to cast their ballots, expressing excitement about exercising their civic duty.

Some voters told VOA they sought a leader who could fulfill the population’s needs, while others emphasized their desire to continue the progress they had witnessed.

Kagame cast his vote around 1:30 p.m. at a voting center in Kigali, reiterating his commitment to building the country towards prosperity.

Kagame, first elected president in 2000, faced competition from two other candidates: Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.

Habineza came in second with 0.53% of the vote, while Mpayimana secured 0.32%.

This marked Mpayimana’s second attempt at the presidency, having transitioned from journalism to politics with a manifesto focused on agriculture, transportation, fishing, and other industries, which received significant media coverage.

Habineza, who also ran against Kagame in the last election, stated that he entered the race again because he believed the incumbent had been in office too long and that it was time for a new vision for the country.

Several other candidates, including some of Kagame’s most vocal critics, were barred from running for president.

Approximately 9 million out of Rwanda’s 14 million population were registered to vote, which is 2 million more than in the previous election, according to the National Electoral Commission.

Additional Reporting by VOA.