The chairpersons of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in all four provinces and the City of Kigali were retained by delegates in the party election that took place across the country yesterday.

In City of Kigali, delegates retained mayor Fidele Ndayisaba as party chairperson, while Zulfat Mukarubega was elected as the new party’s vice chairperson, with Claudine Mukakagaba getting the delegates nod as secretary-general.

In Southern Province, Alphonse Munyantwali was re-elected by delegates as party chairperson in the elections at Nyanza District stadium yesterday.

Others elected included Aaron Vuganeza as vice-president and Annonciata Kambayire as the secretary-general. Speaking shortly after being re-elected, Munyantwali said RPF liberated the country and has achieved more in terms of building national unity and giving Rwandans the dignity that they had lost.

"Party members have given us the mandate to be in these leadership positions to take the party forward; we pledge not to disappoint them. We will follow the party’s principles in solving common problems and to continue promoting the party and its role in the development of the country,” said Munyantwali, who is also the provincial governor.

Odette Uwamariya, the governor of Eastern Province, was re-elected as party chairperson and she pledged to continue being part of the party’s journey to lead the country to more economic prosperity.

"Our commitment as RPF is that every Rwandan lives a decent life and sustainable self-reliance, and there is need for us to engage in more efforts to achieve those aspirations,” Uwamariya said, challenging party members to spearhead the development of their communities.

That way, Uwamariya added that the party will be able to help people develop the province and the country at large.

Aime Bosenibamwe, the governor of Northern Province, was re-elected as party chairperson in the province.

Meanwhile, in Western Province, delegates re-elected Jean Nepomuscène Nkurikiyinka as party chairperson, while Josuin Ntaganira got the vice chairpersonship, with Agnes Uwamahoro becoming secretary-general.Nkurikiyinka is the Director-General of Rubaya Tea Factory in Nyamasheke District.

Internal democracy

Wellars Gasamagera, who heads the party’s electoral committee, said in a recent interview that the RPF party election is a regular exercise that takes place after every four years and is aimed at building party democracy.

"This is a regular exercise just like the national executive committee elections. The exercise has been conducted right from the cell level to the provinces,” Gasamagera said of the activity that started at the grassroots on June 6.

The national executive committee was elected last year.

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