Kagame swears in for third term today

President Paul Kagame will take oath today as president of Rwanda after being elected for a third term in elections held earlier this month. The ceremony held in the capital Kigali will be witnessed by many heads of state from Africa, including Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.

Kagame sailed to a third term in office with a whopping 98 percent of votes, in elections held two weeks ago.

There had been little doubt that the 59-year-old would return to the helm of the east African nation which he has ruled since the end of the 1994 genocide.

Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party -- the only permitted critical opposition party -- won 0.45 percent of votes and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana scored 0.72.

Polarising leader
Kagame has been the de-facto leader of Rwanda since, as a 36-year-old, his rebel army routed extremist Hutu forces who slaughtered an estimated 800,000 people -- mainly minority Tutsis -- and seized Kigali in 1994.

He was appointed president by lawmakers in 2000 before being elected in 2003 with 95 percent of votes and again in 2010 with 93 percent of votes.

The lanky former guerilla fighter is one of Africa's most divisive leaders, with some hailing him as a visionary while critics see a despot aiming to become one of the continent's presidents-for-life.

Kagame is credited with a remarkable turnaround in the shattered nation, which boasts annual economic growth of about seven percent, is safe, clean and does not tolerate corruption. Rwanda also has the highest number of female lawmakers in the world.

However rights groups accuse Kagame of ruling through fear, relying on systematic repression of the opposition, free speech and the media. 

Kagame's critics have ended up jailed, forced into exile or assassinated. While few Rwandans would dare to openly speak against him.