Rwanda 99% man wey dey run for fourth term

As Rwanda President Paul Kagame don first get 99% of di vote for di last round of election, e no get any real improvement wey pesin go dey expect for di elections wey go happun on Monday.

Di kain victory wey im achieve for 2017, plus di 95% wey im bin get for 2013, 93% for 2010 and 97% for 2003, don make pipo dey wonder if true-true di elections dey democratic.

Di accuse wey di former refugee and rebel leader ignore wit im full chest.

“E get some pipo wey tink say 100% no be democracy,” Oga Kagame bin tell thousands of supporters wey bin dey hail am for one campaign rally for western Rwanda last month.

As e dey refer to elections wey occur for somewhere else, but no mention di name of any kontri, e add say: “Many pipo dey wey dem vote into office wit 15%... na democracy be dat? How?”

Wetin happun for Rwanda na Rwanda business, di president tok.

Im supporters agree as dem begin shout “make dem come learn” dem wave di red, white and sky blue flags of di governing Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party.

At ova 6ft (1.83m), di muscular 66-year-old father of four, stand tall for di crowd. E fit smile and crack one or two jokes, but di leader sometimes dey show sign of a disappointed elder.

Im soft, thoughtful delivery dey force listener to take note wen e dey usually dey very direct, and e no dey fake im words.

Even for occasions wen e use code or diplomatic language, e go use sense let pipo know wetin e dey tok about.

Di kasala between Rwanda Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups bin shape Oga Kagame life.

In order to overcome dis, im government now insist say make pipo identify as Rwandans instead of one specific ethnic group.

Oga Kagame don be president since 2000, e dey run for fourth term but na im be di real leader of di East African kontri since July 1994.

Dis na wen im rebel army remove di Hutu extremist government wey bin cause di killing wey happun dat year.

E bin first serve as vice-president and defence minister.

Many of im supporters, among dem some leading Western politicians, bin hail am for bringing stability and rebuilding Rwanda afta di mass slaughter wey lead to di death of about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Some bin accuse im den rebel army of revenge killings dat time, but im government all di time don tok say dem bin isolated instances and dem dey punish those wey dey responsible.

Di president no dey carry last wen e reach to condemn di West, but e dey also get dia support by sometimes playing on di guilt ova di failure to prevent di genocide.

Rwanda be partner and financial beneficiary for one UK scheme to send asylum seekers go di kontri, UK don scrap di scheme now.

“I go vote for PK, of course,” one university student Marie Jeanne, tok as she call Oga Kagame by im initials.

“Look how I dey study well. If e no be president, I fit no fit study well maybe sake of lack of security,” she tell BBC.

For her, di answer to who she go vote for dey clear, but e get two oda names on di ballot paper wey di nine million registered voters fit consider.

Di Democratic Green Party Frank Habineza and independent Philippe Mpayimana dey run again for di presidential election as dem do seven years ago.

Oda political parties don throw dia support for Oga Kagame for president.

Dem no allow opposition politician Diane Rwigara, one outspoken critic of Mr Kagame, take part for di election on di ground say she no present di correct paperwork, wey she claim say na excuse to stop her from running.

Dem don accuse Oga Kagame of silencing, through imprisonment and intimidation, oda potential opponents.

E bin get one time wey e tell Al Jazeera news channel say make nobody hold am responsible for a weak opposition.

Im powerful network of spies don allegedly carry out plenty cross-border assassinations and abductions.

E dey alleged say dem even target dia own former boss, ex-intelligence Chief Col Patrick Karegeya, wey run from Rwanda afta e get kwanta wit Oga Kagame.

Dem murder am for 2014 for im suite for one upmarket hotel for South Africa main city, Johannesburg.

"Dem use rope to hang am tight," David Batenga, Col Karegeya nephew tok.

Oga Kagame bin deny involvement wit di killing even though e no do too much to hide say e get hand for di mata.

"You no fit betray Rwanda and no face punishment for am," e tok for one prayer meeting shortly afta e happun. "Anyone, even those wey still dey alive, go reap di consequences. Anyone. Na mata of time."

Di search for security for im kontri don make di president send sojas go neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, say dem dey pursue one Hutu rebel group.

Rwanda also chop accuse say dem dey support M23 rebel group for there - something wey dem seriously deny, despite wealth of evidence, wey include one recent UN report.

“To dey really honest, [di election] na joke,” Filip Reyntjens tok. Di Belgian political scientist na expert on di Great Lakes region.

“Of course I no know wetin go happun dis time, but previous elections na comedy.

“I mean di national electoral commission dey dash pipo vote instead of make dem count di votes,” e claim, as e cite di last European Union (EU) observer mission report of 2003 and di Commonwealth observer mission report of 2010.

Rwanda electoral commission tok on dia website say dem dey conduct “free, fair and transparent elections to promote democracy and good governance for Rwanda”.

“To me, di upcoming presidential election for Rwanda na non-event,” Dr Joseph Sebarenzi, one former speaker of di Rwandan parliament, wey lose im parents and many family members during di genocide, wey dey for exile now for US tok.

“Di election be like football game wia di organiser also na di competitor, wey dey select oda competitors, order pipo to attend di game, and wia everyone know who go win but must behave as if di game dey real.”

Oga Kagame, wey be strong football fan wey dey stan English Premier League club Arsenal, go reject dis description.

Dem born am for 1957 into a well-to-do household for central Rwanda, e be di youngest of five children.

But, e neva reach two years old, wen e become refugee for neighbouring Uganda, im family and thousands of odas bin run from di persecution and massacres of di late 1950s from di minority Tutsi population.

Even though e be small pikin at di time, Oga Kagame say im still fit “remember looking out onto di next hill. We see as pipo dey burn houses for there.

"Dem dey kill pipo. My mother bin dey so desperate. She no wan comot di place,” di president bin tell American journalist and unofficial biographer Stephen Kinzer.

Dis killings bin come afta Belgian colonisers bin switch from di ethnic group dem dey support to favour one emerging ruling elite from di majority Hutu ethnic group, some of dem bin suffer ill-treatment under di Tutsi monarchy.

Rwanda gain independence for 1962.

For di late 1970s, Oga Kagame secretly visit im home several times.

For di capital, Kigali, e get one particular hotel for Kiyovu wey e always dey lodge, e dey for one of di city wealthiest neighbourhoods. Dia bar dey popular wit politicians, security officers and civil servants wey always dey come dia to gossip as dem dey sip beer afta work.

Oga Kinzer bin write say di future leader go dey listen to dia tok-tok as e dey drink orange soda, e go siddon alone for one table and avoid attention.

Dis visits to im homeland bin sharpen im interest for di art of undercover activities.

E train for military intelligence for Uganda and follow join for di successful rebellion for dat kontri wey Yoweri Museveni bin lead wey see am take ova power for 1986. Oga Kagame further train for Tanzania, Cuba and America.

E lead im mainly Tutsi rebel army wey march enta Rwanda for 1990.

“[Di training] bin dey useful. Cuba, for dia wars wit America and connection to Russia, bin dey advanced for mata of intelligence.

Political education also dey: Di struggle na about wetin? How do go sustain am?” e tell Oga Kinzer.

E don try sustain di struggle by targeting economic development - Oga Kagame bin suggest say Rwanda go follow Singapore or South Korea and achieve development for a generation.

Although Rwanda bin fail to reach dia middle-income kontri target by 2020, Prof Reyntjens tok say, “dis na well-run kontri”.

“Di problem for Rwanda na wit political governance, level playing-field no dey, space no dey for opposition, and freedom of speech no dey, wey fit affect di achievements of good technocratic governance.”

But Oga Kagame maintain say di plenty crowds of supporters wey dey show for im campaigns na just one example of di trust and love Rwandans get for am and dem wish make e continue as dia leader. Although e get one time wey e tok say, im go don groom one successor by 2017.

Because of constitutional changes, e fit, in theory, remain for power till 2034.

“Di context of every kontri” matters, Oga Kagame bin tok for one live interview on di state broadcaster last month, as e dey address di issue of im time for power.

“[Di West say]: ‘Oh you don too tey for there. But dat no be your business. Na di business of these pipo here.”

Thousands of miles away for US, Dr Sebarenzi tok say im no know wetin di future hold for im home kontri, wey pipo dey lovingly dey call di land of a thousand hills, but e add say: “History don show say for kontris wia di head of state strong pass di state institutions, change of power fit turn violent, wey go lead to post-regime periods wey full with kasala.”