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

The president of Rwanda is the head of state and head of executive of the Republic of Rwanda. The president is elected every seven years by popular vote, and appoints the prime minister and all other members of Cabinet.

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.

List of officeholders

;Political parties

;Status

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

|+List of presidents of Rwanda

! rowspan="2" colspan="2" scope="col" |

! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" |Portrait

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Name<br />

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Elected

! colspan="3" scope="colgroup" |Term of office

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Ethnic group

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Political party

! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Prime minister(s)

! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" |

|-

! scope="col" | Took office

! scope="col" | Left office

! scope="col" | Time in office

|-

! colspan="12" | Republic of Rwanda

|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"

|

! style="background:" |

| frameless|upright=0.40|alt=

! scope="row" | <br />

| —

|

|

|

| Hutu

| Parmehutu

| Kayibanda

|

|-

| 1

! style="background:" |

| frameless|upright=0.40|alt=Grégoire Kayibanda

! scope="row" | <br />

| 1961

|

|

|

| Hutu

| Parmehutu

| Himself

|

|-

! colspan="12" | Republic of Rwanda

|-

|

! style="background:" |

| frameless|upright=0.40|alt=Grégoire Kayibanda

! scope="row" | <br />

| 1965<br />1969

|

| <br />

|

| Hutu

| Parmehutu

| Position abolished

|

|-

| 2

! style="background:" |

| frameless|upright=0.40|alt=Juvénal Habyarimana

! scope="row" | <br /><br />

| 1978<br />1983<br />1988

|

| <br />

|

| Hutu

| MRND / <br />Military

| Position abolished<br /><hr />Nsanzimana<br />Nsengiyaremye<br />Uwilingiyimana

|

|-

| colspan="12"| Vacant ( – )

|-

|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"

|

! style="background:" |

| frameless|upright=0.40|alt=

! scope="row" | <br /><br />

| —

|

| <br /><br />

|

| Hutu

| MRND

| Kambanda

|

|-

| 3

! style="background:" |

| frameless|upright=0.40|alt=Pasteur Bizimungu

! scope="row" | <br />

| —

|

| <br />

|

| Hutu

| RPF

| Twagiramungu<br />Rwigema<br />Makuza

|

|-

| rowspan="2" | 4

! rowspan="2" style="background:" |

| rowspan="2" | frameless|upright=0.40|alt=Paul Kagame

! rowspan="2" scope="row" | <br />

| —

| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |

| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |

| rowspan="2" |

| rowspan="2" | Tutsi

| rowspan="2" | RPF

| rowspan="2" | Makuza<br />Habumuremyi<br />Murekezi<br />Ngirente<br />Nsengiyumva

| rowspan="2" |

|-

| 2003<br />2010<br />2017<br />2024

|

| Incumbent

|}

Timeline

Latest election

See also

  • 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

References

  • World Statesmen – Rwanda