Rwanda

Chamber of Deputies

Political system: Presidential-Parliamentary
Structure of parliament: Bicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 15 Jul 2024 to 16 Jul 2024
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 14 Jun 2024
Timing of election: Delayed elections

Notes: The outgoing legislature was elected in September 2018 to serve a five-year term. In March 2023, Parliament adopted constitutional amendments designed to synchronize parliamentary and presidential elections in 2024, when the term of the President would expire.
Expected date of next elections: 31 Jul 2029
Number of seats at stake: 80
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election: 7

Voter turnout

Registered voters: 9,071,157
Voters: 8,907,876
Voter turnout: 98.2%

Results

About the election: President Paul Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) and its allies (see note 1) remained the largest force in the 80-member Chamber of Deputies, winning 37 of the 53 directly elected seats. Four other parties in the outgoing legislature won a similar number of seats compared to their 2018 performance (see note 2). In addition, the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI), which was previously part of the FPR, entered the new legislature. In the presidential election held in parallel with the parliamentary polls, the incumbent President Kagame secured a fourth term in office (see note 3) with over 99% of the vote.

Note 1:
The FPR allies in 2024 were the Centrist Democratic Party (PDC), the Party for Progress and Concord (PPC), the Rwandan Socialist Party (PSR), the Prosperity and Solidarity Party (PSP), and the Democratic Union of the Rwandan People (UDPR).

Note 2:
The outgoing legislature was elected in September 2018 to serve a five-year term. In March 2023, Parliament adopted constitutional amendments designed to synchronize parliamentary and presidential elections in 2024, when the term of the President would expire.

Note 3:
Mr. Kagame assumed the presidency following an indirect election by Parliament in 2000. He was then directly elected in 2003 and 2010 under the 2003 Constitution, which stipulated a two-term limit for the presidency, with each term being seven years. His second and last term was thus due to expire in 2017. However, under the 2015 constitutional amendments, the President was allowed to seek a new seven-year term in 2017 (until 2024), and then two new terms of five years each (potentially enabling him to remain in office until 2034).
Number of parties winning seats: 6
Percentage of parties winning seats: 85.7%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 46.3%
Alternation of power after elections: No

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) and its allies	37
Liberal Party (PL)	5
Social Democratic Party (PSD)	5
DGPR - Green Party	2
Ideal Democratic Party (PDI)	2
Social Party Imberakuri (PS)	2

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 29
Number of women elected: 51
Percentage of women elected: 63.8%
Women Directly Elected: 25
Women Indirectly Elected: 26
Other notes on the elections
Sources: Chamber of Deputies (19.08.2024)
https://nec.gov.rw/amatora/en/ilisti-yitora-ntakuka-2024/
https://nec.gov.rw/amatora/en/provisional-results-of-presidential-and-legislative-elections/
https://nec.gov.rw/amatora/rpf
https://nec.gov.rw/amatora/en/final-results-for-special-groups/
https://www.gov.rw/blog-detail/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-changes-in-constitution-of-rwanda
https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2015-12-30/rwanda-referendum-approves-extended-presidential-terms/
BBC Monitoring
https://www.theguardian.com
https://www.bbc.com/
https://www.africanews.com
https://www.aa.com.tr/en

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 29
Total number of women after the election: 51

Notes:
The newly elected Chamber of Deputies comprises a total of 51 women (25 directly elected and 26 indirectly elected) out of 80 members.

The breakdown of the 26 indirectly elected members is as follows.
- 24 women elected by electoral colleges from each Province and the City of Kigali;
- One woman out of two members elected by the National Youth Council;
- One woman for the one seat elected by the Federation of the Associations of the Disabled.
Percentage of women after the election: 63.8%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 14 Aug 2024

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Gertrude Kazarwa (Female)
Date of birth: 28 Dec 1964
Political party: Liberal Party (PL)
Date of election: 14 Aug 2024