The Rwandan Community living in Kenya on Sunday flocked to the Nairobi and Mombasa polling stations to vote for Rwanda’s next president and the country’s members of parliament.
The elections in the Rwandan diaspora were held a day before those in the Capital Kigali.
Voters on Monday cast their votes to choose who will lead the country for the next five years.
The presidential candidates include Paul Kagame of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), lawmaker Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana who is the sole independent candidate.
This is the second time the three candidates are competing following the 2017 general election won by incumbent President Kagame.
For the parliamentary elections, a total of 589 candidates are contesting for the 80 seats in the Lower House of Parliament.
The Rwanda High Commission in Nairobi reported that over 4000 Rwandans had registered for this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections and the turnout on Sunday exceeded expectations.
Don Gisa, a Rwandan university student who is a first-time voter says he is happy to have exercised his civic right.
“I was looking forward to this moment because it allows me to also decide on who I think has the potential to lead my country for the next five years,” he said.
On what he expects from the person who will win this year’s elections, Gisa said he envisions continuity of Rwanda’s current trajectory and a country that puts the interests of Rwandans first.
Additionally, he said he is interested in an executive and legislature that allows economic growth and reduces poverty.
The same sentiments were shared by Sandra Mugwaneza who also believes that much as Rwanda has progressed over the last three decades, there is still room for improvement.
“A lot has been achieved over the years, and most of us didn’t even imagine getting to where we are today as a country. Nonetheless, we still have a long way to go, which is why today I came to vote those I believe have the ability to help us overcome the remaining challenges,” she said.
“The issue of unemployment, especially among young people, is something that whoever wins this election will have to address. Additionally, he should ensure there are more investments coming in the country and build more infrastructure that at the end of the day benefit all of us,” she added.
According to Rwanda’s electoral commission, nine million people have registered for this year’s combined presidential and parliamentary polls.
Among these, more than two million people are first-time voters born after the country’s tragic history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
During a press conference held on Saturday, Kagame who is seeking his fourth term was asked about Rwanda potentially having the next leader after him.
In his response, Kagame noted that he could not predict what Rwanda would be like after his leadership, emphasising that he can only answer to what happens under his term in office.
He added that foreigners should leave this issue of the next president to Rwandans and focus on problems in their own countries.