Paul Kagame, leader of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party, has won a fourth term as president of his country.

Rwandan election officials announced on Tuesday that according to preliminary results, Kagame had been re-elected for a five-year term after winning 99.15 per cent of the vote.

Kagame’s rivals, Frank Habineza of the opposition Green Democratic Party and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate, won less than 1 per cent of the vote, officials said.

The final results of the presidential election will be announced on 27 July.

Kagame has been Rwanda’s president since 2000.