Musanze District Council, yesterday, elected Jean Damascene Habyarimana as the new mayor, replacing Jean Claude Musabyimana, who was recently appointed as Northern Province Governor.

Habyarimana, 40, was until yesterday the district vice mayor in charge of economic development.

He polled 253 votes to beat his challenger Innocent Twizerimana, the district council vice president, who got 19 votes.

The electoral college was made up of 269 voters from all sectors.

In his acceptance speech, Habyarimana said he would put in more efforts to ensure that the district works as a team to fast track socio-economic development in all areas.

Habyarimana promised to move the district from the last position it ranked in last’s performance contracts to among the first this financial year.

"We are aware that the reason we emerged last in performance contracts was because we failed to put people’s interests first and serve them well, I am ready to work on this,” the new mayor said.

"Another thing I will do is to put in more efforts so that, together with others, we strive to develop our city since it is among the country’s secondary cities.”

Habyarimana holds a bachelor’s degree in rural development from University of Rwanda’s College of Animal Resources and Veterinary Medicine (CAVEM).

He served as an official in the former Busogo commune before the merger of local entities during reforms.

Governor Musabyimana urged the new mayor to work hard to help the district improve on its performance.

He also called on local leaders in the district to adopt team spirit and recommit to uplifting residents out of poverty.

"You need as a district to mobilise the people to ensure that bad ideologies, especially genocide ideology that still manifests among the people, is uprooted,” Musabyimana said.

Emile Abayisenga, the district advisory council president, challenged the new mayor and the whole district administration to work hard and make the city the second in the country after Kigali, insisting more efforts in all sectors such as health, economy and others are needed to achieve that.

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