Africa’s one term presidents

By Peter Ochieng

The talk of President William Ruto serving for only one term has dominated discussions both online and offline, with his deputy Kithure Kindiki coming out on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, to strongly condemn those threatening him with ‘one term in office,’ ahead of the 2027 polls.

Kindiki, speaking during a consultative meeting with Tharaka Nithi leaders, poured cold water on claims that Ruto had become ‘so unpopular,’ leaving no room for him to secure a second term in 2027.

''Every Kenyan is qualified to be in the seats we occupy. If you are serving as a leader, do not consider yourself to be like a superhuman. Do not threaten us with the one-term Presidency talks,'' said Kindiki.

''Even if we do not win the elections because of our transformative agendas, it does not matter. He would have served as President anyway. Is it not a blessing even to serve for five years, one year or even one day? How many Kenyans are there?'' paused the former Tharaka Nithi Senator.

Nairobi Review runs through a list of African presidents who served for one term.

1. Nelson Mandela

Unlike his peers in this list, Mandela left office voluntarily without the burden of losing a re-election contest. What makes it even legendary is the fact that he would have easily been re-elected, had he decided to defend his seat.

Mandela is a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, who served as the country’s first black president, from 1994 to 1999.

He left office at the time opinion polls were indicating that 80% of South Africans expressed satisfaction with his performance as president.

2. John Mahama

John Dramani Mahama assumed office as the president of Ghana in July 2012, upon the death of president John Atta Mills. He was serving as his deputy.

He was elected in December 2012 to serve his full term. He then campaigned to defend his seat, but lost to Nana Akufo-Addo during the 2016 general elections.

Mahama was back on the ballot in 2020, but lost to Addo again. He is currently in office, serving his second term as Ghana president having won the 2024 presidential contest.   

3. Goodluck Jonathan

Like John Mahama, Goodluck Jonathan took over as Nigeria president after the death of president Omar Musa Yar Adua in 2010.

His first term in office ended in 2015, losing that year’s presidential contest to Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan conceded defeat – a difficult thing for an African president to do, and quietly exited from the scene.  

4. Joyce Banda    

She took over as Malawi President in April 2012, on the backdrop of the death of president Bingu wa Mutharika. 

The bid to defend her seat during the May 2014 polls ‘ended in tears,’ as she heavily lost to Peter Mutharika – the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s younger brother.  

5. Peter Mutharika

We are still in Malawi. After defeating Joyce Banda in 2014, Peter Mutharika ‘met his equal’ in the frame of Lazarus Chakwera in 2020.

Before then, Mutharika had been declared winner of the 2019 presidential contest, before the opposition moved to court seeking for the nullification of his win, claiming widespread rigging.

After going through volumes of evidence, the court granted the opposition its wish and ordered for fresh presidential elections in 150 days. That is when Peter met his waterloo against Chakwera.

6. George Weah

Weah, the only African to win the FIFA Ballon D’Or in 1995 served as Liberia’s 25th President from 2018 to 2024.

He lost his reelection bid to Joseph Boakai during the November 2023 presidential race, swiftly conceding defeat.

7. Edgar Lungu

Served as Zambia’s 6th president from 2015 to 2021, when he lost Hakainde Hichilema – the man he had beaten in 2015.

8. Somalia

Recent history has shown that chances of winning a presidential reelection in Somalia are next to none.