By Brian Okoth
Rwanda's Diane Rwigara spent an entire year in custody between 2017 and 2018 after the state arrested her alongside her mother, Adeline Rwigara, over incitement charges.
In December 2018, the High Court in Rwanda's capital Kigali ordered their release, ruling that the state could not prove the allegations it had levelled against the family duo.
Diane's troubles became more apparent after she declared interest in the August 2017 presidential election.
The then-35-year-old women's rights activist had accused President Paul Kagame of several abuses in the country, and vowed to reverse the trend.
'Freedom of expression'
Rwigara said she was running for president to fight injustice and encourage freedom of expression.
In her own words, she said there was "very high unemployment rate, injustice and little security" in Rwanda.
Despite Rwigara saying that Rwandans were under "bondage", Kagame won that year's election with nearly 99% or 6.7 million votes.
Rwigara had been barred from seeking election over alleged forgery of endorsement signatures. In Rwanda, a presidential aspirant must raise at least 12 signatures from each of the country's 30 districts. In total, the signatures must be 600, or more.
Arrest
According to Rwanda's electoral commission, Rwigara had fallen short of that requirement, and opted to top it up with "forged signatures."
A section of political observers, however, said Rwigara was "deliberately blocked" from the race over her criticism of President Kagame's leadership.
When Kagame was taking his oath of office for a third term in August 2017, Rwigara was under intense state scrutiny.
In early September that year, law enforcement officers confirmed her arrest, alongside her mother.
Acquitted
Rwigara had been accused of incitement and forgery, while her mother faced accusations of inciting the public against a democratically elected government, through WhatsApp messages.
In December 2018, a Kigali court ruled that Rwigara's criticism of the government was protected by freedom of speech in Rwanda's constitution.
The court also ruled that freedom of speech protected WhatsApp voice notes her mother privately sent to relatives over President Kagame's alleged high-handedness.
Fast forward to 2024. Rwigara reignited her interest in unseating President Kagame, who could constitutionally stay in power up to 2034.
'I hope to be shortlisted'
She submitted her presidential papers on deadline day on May 30, and said that this time around, she did not face major challenges in collecting endorsement signatures.
"I have submitted all the required documents, plus 974 signatures from all 30 districts. I am hoping to be on the provisional presidential list this time (around)," Rwigara said on X, formerly Twitter, on June 4.
Rwanda's electoral commission released its provisional list of cleared candidates on June 6. Three people, including President Kagame, were cleared, and six barred.
But for Rwigara, just like it happened in 2017, her name was not on the list.
Criminal record document
The electoral commission said the 42-year-old failed to provide a criminal record statement, and also failed to gather enough signatures endorsing her bid.
The agency said that instead of Rwigara submitting a certificate showing she's never been convicted of a crime for more than six months, she brought a court judgment that had declared her innocent of 2017 charges.
On signatures, the electoral board said she did not provide at least 12 signatures from eight separate districts.
The other candidates barred from the July 15 presidential election are Jean Mbanda, Herman Manirabera, Fred Barafinda Sekikubo, Thomas Habimana and Innocent Hakizimana.
A Kagame rematch for Habineza, Mpayimana
Besides Kagame, the other two candidates cleared by Rwanda's electoral commission are the leader of Green Party Frank Habineza and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.
Mpayimana, the other cleared candidate, ran for president in 2017 and got 0.7% or 49,000 votes. Habineza, also a candidate in the 2017 election, got 0.5% or 33,000 votes.
Fifty-three parliamentary seats will also be contested on July 15. The official campaign period is June 22 to July 13. Rwanda's electoral commission said in mid-May that approximately 9.5 million people have registered to vote in this year's elections.
The commission is expected to publish the final list of presidential candidates on June 14. For now, the six candidates, who are barred, might still get a lifeline after the electoral agency said that those locked out over missing documents can submit them before June 14.
Diane Rwigara's family
Diane Rwigara spent most of her life outside Rwanda. She often shuttled between California in the United States and Kigali.
Rwigara has three siblings namely Anne Rwigara (sister), Arioste Rwigara (brother), and Aristide Rwigara (brother).
Their father, Assinapol Rwigara, was a successful businessman.
The Rwigaras were at one time strong supporters of President Kagame, but later became his critics.
Father's death
In 2015, Diane Rwigara returned to Rwanda from California after her father died in a car crash in suspicious circumstances.
The official police report said that a truck driver had rammed Assinapol's car, resulting in his death at the age of 62.
But the Rwigaras allege that their father was killed for refusing to surrender his business.
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