Incumbent President Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) was re-elected for a second seven-year term with 93% of the vote.

[4] During Kagame's first term, Rwanda experienced high growth rates and a rise in infrastructure and international investment and tourism.

[4][5] The election campaign began publicly in January 2010 when Victoire Ingabire, a Hutu who had been living abroad for some years, returned to Rwanda and announced her candidacy.

[6] The next candidate to register was Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies and former Minister of Health Jean-Damascène Ntawukuriryayo, who won the nomination for the Social Democratic Party on 22 May.

[10] In June, the Liberal Party named its candidate, with Vice-President of the Senate and former Minister of Commerce Prosper Higiro defeating Stephanie Mukantagara for the nomination after the latter pulled out of the race at the last minute.

[12] Two of three other contenders failed to get official documents approved and were not accepted into the race, whilst the other party was said to have effectively disintegrated, leaving no real opposition to Kagame.

The three candidates running against Kagame had supported him in the 2003 election and were described by other parties as the RPF's "political satellites" – token opposition used to maintain a façade of pluralism.

[13] The run-up to the elections saw the "killings of opposition figures," including the unsolved beheading of the vice-president of the Democratic Green Party, André Kagwa Rwisereka, whilst the murder of journalist Jean-Léonard Rugambage, sparked concern and prompted the United Nations to demand an investigation.

Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo refuted the claims saying "The international media and human rights groups are misrepresenting what is happening in the country.

This and other bombings in the country were attributed to the Hutu-dominated Interhamwe and the exiled former Rwandan ambassador to India, General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa.

[26] A grenade attack occurred in Kigali hours after the election commission announced Kagame's victory, injuring about 20 people.

Victoire Ingabire, the leader of the United Democratic Forces, was arrested on the basis of statements made by a former military officer that she had a connection with an alleged plot to form a "terrorist group."