Musanze and Nyanza district residents want lawmakers to amend the Constitution to allow President Paul Kagame run for another term owing to his achievements.

With two years left on Kagame’s second seven-year mandate, residents made the calls yesterday, during ongoing consultations on amending Article 101 of the Constitution on term limits.

In Musanze, cheerful residents gathered at Kabirizi Cell grounds in Kacaca Sector, chanting patriotic songs.

While many praised Kagame as a freedom fighter who stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, others said he is an indisputably pivotal figure in Rwanda’s landmark achievements in areas of peace, unity and reconciliation, and economy, among others.

The consultation follows demands by over 3.7 million Rwandans that all obstacles be removed to ensure President Kagame remains in power after 2017.

"Kagame cares about our rights and place in the world. We trust him, given his track record, and the constitutional amendment should be done in his favour alone as we cannot trust his successor to lead as he has done,” Alex Munyakazi, in his 60s, said.

"If you scrap term limits, then leaders who will come after him could abuse power when we have no means of removing them,” he added.

Another resident, Yusuf Munyakazi, said Rwandans still need to benefit from Kagame’s good leadership.

"President Kagame is the only person who has been able to build trust among Rwandans. I do not agree with those saying presidential term limits be scraped indefinitely, but as MPs, you can see how you restructure Article 101 so that it allows only Kagame more time,” said Kizito Mafaranga, another resident.

In Muyira Sector, Nyanza District, residents said they do not want to risk because the consequences of removing Kagame after 2017 are unpredictable.

They said in a democratic state, the will of the people and their views should be taken into consideration.

MP Marie Terese Murekatete thanked residents for their views, adding that they (views) would be considered in relation to those from other parts of the country after the consultations.

In their three-week consultations, the legislators will also meet opinion leaders in the country.

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