Nineteen candidates, including eight women, are campaigning to fill four vacant positions in Musanze District Council.

This comes after the entire executive committee of the district – the mayor and both deputies who were members of the district advisory council – were fired over corruption, incompetence and gross misconduct.

The exercise will lead to the election of mayors and vice mayors for economic development and social affairs on September 27.  

The mayor and his deputies are elected by the district councillors, who are elected by citizens at the sector level. The winners join the district advisory council.

Besides three councillors in the district executive committee, another councillor will be voted in to represent Kinigi Sector whose member voluntarily resigned a few days ago.

At least six candidates on Tuesday afternoon held a joint rally in Gashaki Sector in front of hundreds of residents from Kigabiro and Kivumu Cells.

Axillae Kamanzi, a journalists who is one of the candidates, said that, if elected, to represent Gashaki, she will advocate for the conservation of Ruhondo Lake to promote community tourism around in the area. 

"This lake keeps lying idle yet it should be contributing significantly to the development of the district,” she said. "I will mobilise for investments to set up infrastructure such as hotels around the lake.”

Ernest Iyakaremenye, a teacher, said he was keen on improving the quality of education in the area.

The Coordinator of National Election Commission (NEC) in Musanze and Nyabihu Districts, Sheik Saleh Nshimiyimana, reminded the candidates to comply with the laws that govern the elections

The district council comprises of one councillor from each sector making up a district, three members of the Bureau of the National Youth Council at the district level, and the coordinator of the National Council of Women at the district level.

Each gender must occupy at least 30 per cent of the district council positions.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com