The incumbent President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, was re-elected to a third seven-year term,[1] allegedly with 98.79% of the vote on a 98.15% turnout.

[3] Kagame announced that he would run for a third term in a televised address to mark the start of 2016, saying "You requested me to lead the country again after 2017.

Days after she launched her campaign, nude photos of Rwigara were leaked onto the Internet in an attempt to discredit her.

[6] On 7 July the National Electoral Commission disqualified Rwigara and two other candidates on technical grounds,[7] alleging they had not collected enough valid signatures.

[8][9] The commission's decision was criticised by the US State Department and the European Union,[10][11] while Amnesty International said that the election would be held in a "climate of fear and repression.