05 August, 2017
Electoral authorities overnight said Mr Kagame had won more than 98% of the vote with 80% of ballots counted, with no major change expected when final results are announced later on Saturday.
"We are still treated as if we are enemies ... but so far in this election no one in our party has been killed or imprisoned or harassed and that means at least some progress", he said before a rally in the small southern town of Rango.
The electoral commission in Rwanda has announced that President Paul Kagame has won a third term in office with a landslide.
Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party - the only permitted critical opposition party - won 0.45 percent of votes and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana scored 0.72.
He has been in power since 1994.
Around the country Rwandans gathered to hear the results, with some celebrating an early win for Kagame.
Mr Kagame has been the de-facto leader of Rwanda since, as a 36-year-old, his rebel army routed extremist Hutu forces.
More than 80 percent of Rwanda's 6.9 million registered voters cast their ballots, according to Charles Munyaneza, executive secretary of the Rwanda Electoral Commission.
Inside a gymnasium in the capital music and dancers entertained hundreds of party loyalists who celebrated into the morning.
"We don't expect any major change going forward and therefore RPF candidate, Paul Kagame, is the victor of the election", NEC chairman Kalisa Mbanda announced at the commission headquarters in Kimihurura past midnight, local time.
Kagame, 59, has been president since 2000 when he was elected by ministers and members of parliament following the resignation of then President Pasteur Bizimungu.
The lanky former guerilla fighter is one of Africa's most divisive leaders, with some hailing him as a visionary while critics see a despot aiming to become one of the continent's presidents-for-life. Among them was the only woman to put herself forward, women's rights activist and Kagame critic Diane Shima Rwigara.
Fellow rights group Human Rights Watch highlighted restrictions on freedom of speech and said the Rwandan government had limited the ability of opposition parties and civil society groups to operate freely in the run-up to the vote. While few Rwandans would dare to openly speak against him.
"He freed the country, he stabilised the country".
Polling stations in some parts of the capital, Kigali, had long lines on Friday.
"He is an exceptional man".
Like many other voters AFP spoke to, Rutayisire didn't know the names of the other candidates.
Mpayimana has already conceded defeat and congratulated Kagame on public broadcaster, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency.
Friday's election came after a constitutional amendment which ended a two-term limit for presidents and theoretically permits Kagame to remain in power until 2034.
