Kagame Defends ‘Good Coups’, Says Gen Z Protests Signal Deep Rot in African Leadership

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has sparked fresh debate across the continent after declaring that not all coups are inherently bad and warning that the wave of Gen Z–led protests spreading across Africa is a sign that something is deeply wrong within governments.

Speaking during a media briefing in Kigali on Thursday, Kagame delivered one of his bluntest assessments yet on the political tremors rocking West, Central and East Africa.

His comments come barely days after an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau and amid heightened political instability from the Sahel to the Indian Ocean.

Kagame said African leaders should stop pretending that coups occur in a vacuum.

According to him, many are the inevitable outcome of years of corruption, misrule and stolen elections that leave citizens desperate and soldiers emboldened.

He insisted there are “good coups” and “bad coups,” arguing that some arise out of frustration with entrenched political elites who have plundered their nations while hiding behind weak institutions.

He said a bad coup is one driven by reckless officers intoxicated by the power of their guns.

The good kind, he said, occurs when citizens or a faction within the state finally decides “enough is enough” after being lied to and robbed for too long.

Kagame said he felt “vindicated” by the recent pattern of coups, including the chaotic events in Guinea-Bissau and the political breakdown in Madagascar.

He questioned why anyone would be shocked when states with long-running governance failures finally explode.

“What do you know about Guinea-Bissau that tells you such a coup should not have happened?” he asked. “Or even Madagascar? When you look at how these places have been run, why wouldn’t there be a coup?”

His remarks echo a growing sentiment across parts of Africa where military takeovers, once universally condemned, are increasingly seen by frustrated citizens as a crude reset button in countries where the political class has closed all democratic exits.

Kagame also weighed in on the rising Gen Z protest movements shaking East Africa.

From Kenya’s anti-finance-bill uprising to youth demonstrations in Uganda and the more recent unrest in Tanzania, Kagame said these protests are not random flare-ups but clear signs that governments have lost touch with their populations.

He said young people are demanding transparency, fairness and honesty, and leaders must explain openly why their countries are grappling with unemployment, debt and crumbling services.

He warned that violence arises when citizens believe their leaders are living lavishly while the public suffers.

“If there is news that this man is building a castle in Paris or New York or Brussels, they will come for your throat,” Kagame said. “It’s a matter of time.”

The Rwandan leader urged the African Union to design a system that can hold sitting civilian leaders accountable when they rig elections, loot public funds or trigger crises that eventually invite coups.

Kagame’s stance is certain to ignite controversy. Human rights organisations routinely accuse his government of suppressing dissent, even as he positions himself as a continental voice on governance reform.

But his comments will resonate with many young Africans who feel betrayed by old political orders and are increasingly taking to the streets—or supporting anyone who can upend the system.

As the coup wave continues and Gen Z unrest rises, Kagame’s remarks capture a shifting political mood on a continent where trust in civilian rulers has collapsed and the next shock could erupt anywhere.