Campaigning begins in Rwanda's elections

Election campaigning has begun in Rwanda ahead of the vote on 9 August.

Paul Kagame is widely expected to be returned to power in the August poll

The run up so far has been marred by violence and intimidation of the opposition.

Critics of President Paul Kagame dismiss the process as a foregone conclusion, lacking serious competition because of the restrictive nature of party registration.

But it seems that the National Electoral Commission's voter education efforts have produced an air of excitement in the country as campaigning begins.

BBC's reporter in Kigali, Geoffrey Mutagoma tells Network Africa's Paul Bakibinga about the campaign kick off and how the candidates in this regional hi-tech hub are using the internet to get their manifesto messages to voters.

President Kagame is expected to win another term in office and some are already looking ahead to the polls in 2017.

There is scepticism about the kind of chance the three other candidates stand.

Paul Bakibinga spoke to the former speaker of the Rwandan parliament and a critic of the regime in Rwanda, author Joseph Sebarenzi.

However, Rwanda's High Commissioner to the UK, Ernest Rwamucyo, is confident that the polls will be free and fair.

He spoke to the BBC's Lawrence Pollard.