After 23 years as head of state, Kagame has expressed his desire to step down and hand over power to a new leader while he ventures into Journalism.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced that a succession plan is currently being actively discussed within the ruling party.
This happened during a joint press conference with his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, in Kigali. Mister. Kagame described his resignation as “inevitable”.
Mister. Kagame said he’s not necessarily interested in choosing his successor, but rather in creating an environment that produces people capable of leadership.
Also, read; Donald Trump Arrested Over Criminal Charges
“We have been having this discussion within our [ruling] party since 2010 but circumstances, challenges, and history of Rwanda tend to dictate certain things,” he said in a report by the BBC.
Kagame said his retirement was a matter to be discussed “sooner rather than later”, adding that he was certain of “going into journalism in old age. I look forward to it”.
His comments came days after the country’s ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) party elected its first female vice president.
President Kagame retained the Rwandan presidency and has led the party since 1998.
This isn’t the first time Kagame has spoken about retirement. In December 2022, he said he had no problem becoming a regular senior.
In 2015, a controversial referendum in Rwanda lifted the constitutional two-term presidential limit. Mister Kagame, who has been in power since 2000, managed to run for a third term and win the election.
