The Rwandan population is still confident in President Paul Kagame as their leader based on his good records in steering the country to development, the Secretary General of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), Wellars Gasamagera, said on Friday, May 17.

Gasamagera noted this shortly after Kagame formally submitted his candidature for presidency as he seeks re-election in the upcoming polls due in July. Kagame became the first presidential aspirant to file a candidature for the July elections, according to the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Earlier, on May 9, Kagame’s ruling party, RPF-Inkotanyi, elected him as its flag-bearer in the 2024 presidential elections.

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Gasamagera said that what happened on May 17 is just a normal activity in line with the democratic process in the country.

"Our candidate has submitted his credentials today [May 17], and they have been accepted by the National Electoral Commission. We are happy of course that we have done this first step – it is the first step because after this we are soon engaging in the campaign [where] our candidate will have to go all over the country to explain his manifesto plan,” he observed.

"We are very confident that our candidate’s proposal will be accepted by the population because they know what he has done so far, and they are still keeping confidence in him and trust in him. So, that is actually what we envisage in a very near future. And we are very grateful to the Rwandese population for the trust they still have in our candidate, and we are very confident in the future,” he said.

"We have just finalised our manifesto, and it is being published soon,” he said.

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For Gasamagera, the promise of RPF and its top leader – Kagame – to the population will build on recorded achievements.

"Our candidate has shown what he’s capable of in terms of leading this country through to the journey of development. We will first have to consolidate our achievements, but we still have a lot to do in that sense. So, the main fields in which we are going to exert our RPF agenda will be definitely development, social welfare, and governance. Governance includes justice, security, sovereignty, and safeguarding of our country. RPF is ready to take all these to a higher level than they are today,” he said.

The chairperson of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Oda Gasinzigwa, reminded Rwandans that according to the electoral calendar, NEC will, from May 17 to May 30, be receiving documents for candidates aspiring to be President and members of Parliament.