Paul Kagame was born on October 23, 1957 in Tambwe, Ruanda-Urundi (now Nyarutovu, Rwanda). He is a politician, best known as the president of Rwanda since 2000 and president of the ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF).
Have you ever wondered how rich Paul Kagame is as of early 2024? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Kagame’s net worth is as high as $500 million, earned through his successful career as a politician.
Paul Kagame Net Worth $500 Million
Paul is the youngest of six children born to Deogratias, a Tutsi, who had blood ties with King Mutara III, and Asteria Rutagambwa, a descendant from the family of the last Rwandan queen, Rosalie Gicanda. Rwanda’s ethnicity comprised of three groups: Tutsi, who were the minority rulers of the country, Hutu, who were agriculturalists, and Twa, a forest-dwelling pygmy people and descendants of Rwanda’s earliest inhabitants.
The Hutu and Tutsi were always in conflict, resulting in the 1959 Rwandan Revolution when Hutu activists began killing Tutsi people. Paul and his family escaped the country and sought refuge in neighboring countries, eventually settling in Uganda in the Toro sub-region in 1962. There, Kagame met Fred Rwigyema, with whom he later formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front. He began his education process in a school near a refugee camp, where he also learned English and prepared to integrate into Ugandan culture. At the age of nine, Paul started studying at Rwengoro Primary School, and later attended Ntare School. However, his father’s death set back his education as he became more focused on fighting those who belittled the Rwandan population. This resulted in a suspension from Ntare School, and he finished his education at Old Kampala Secondary School.
After completing his education, Paul made several visits to his native country, searching for his family and exploring the country’s political and social status. He also made new friendships, which eventually proved useful to him.In the late ’70s, Paul rejoined with Fred Rwigyema, with whom he pledged allegiance to Museveni, a member of the transition government of Uganda and, as it turned out, a future president of Uganda. He then traveled to Tanzania, where he trained to become a spy. Later, Paul rejoined Museveni in his National Resistance Army and became a senior officer in the Ugandan army. While Paul was in the USA taking a course at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Rwigyema invaded Rwanda with 4,000 rebels. Unfortunately, Fred was killed. Paul returned from the USA and assumed the position of the leader of the RPF. Three years later, in 1993, he signed peace treaties in Arusha, which have become known as the Arusha Accords. Paul and his party received positions in a broad-based transitional government, including roles in the army.
The following year, another major incident struck Rwanda when their president, Juvénal Habyarimana, died in a plane crash alongside Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira. After Habyarimana’s death, a military committee led by Colonel Théoneste Bagosora took the leading positions in the country and began killing Hutu and Tutsi opposition politicians and prominent Tutsi figures. This resulted in the Rwandan Genocide, but Kagame led his rebels against the military and managed to assume full control of the country the same year. Estimates put the casualties of these conflicts at least 1.5 million. Paul then served as Vice President and Minister of Defense under President Pasteur Bizimungu. He subsequently assumed the position of president in 2000 and has been the ruler of the country since then. His presidential position significantly increased his net worth, while his several business ventures also added to his wealth. In 2003, the first presidential elections were held, and Paul won with 95.1% of the votes. His second tenure lasted until 2010, when the next elections were held. This time, Kagame was supported by 93.08% of the voters. In 2015, he changed the constitution, giving himself a chance to run again for the presidency in the 2017 elections.
Kagame is apparently genuinely popular, especially given the progress in growing the economy over the last decade. Starting from his first term, Rwanda began to develop key elements such as the education and healthcare system. Additionally, the country has made significant efforts to maintain friendly relationships with surrounding countries, including DR Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania, among other East African countries.
Regarding his personal life, Kagame has been married to Jeannette Nyriamongi since 1989, and the couple has four children together.
Leave a Comment