As presidential campaigns get underway on Saturday, June 22, opposition candidates have announced their initial schedules and locations for their first day of outreach.
Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party will begin his campaign in Bweramvura Cell, Jabana Sector, Gasabo District on Saturday afternoon, while Phillippe Mpayimana has scheduled his first campaign event in Kirehe District.
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The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) has not yet released its campaign itinerary.
Speaking to The New Times, Juliet Batsinda, the media chief at Green Party, said the rationale behind their decision to kick off their campaigns in Kigali this time around is igniting the mood of the city residents and setting the tone for the rest of the country.
"In previous years, we started our campaigns from far districts. For example, in 2017 we started in Bugarama, Rusizi District but this year we have chosen Kigali specifically to ignite the campaigning mood amongst the city residents which used to be among the last ones to be covered before,” she said.
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"By beginning in the heart of the city, we aim to engage and energise city residents from the onset and set a vibrant mood for the rest of our campaign journey,” she added.
The curtains are set to rise on the presidential and parliamentary campaigns on Saturday, June 22. The activities will run for three weeks until mid-July before the 2024 elections take place.
In an interview with The New Times, independent candidate Phillippe Mpayimana said he is ready to present something new to Rwandans in his campaigns.
"I want to convince the population that there is something new coming,” he said, adding that he wants the population to take time to consider what he will be proposing to them.
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He is currently a Senior Expert in charge of Community Engagement at the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), a position he has held since November 2021.
"We will start from Kirehe in Eastern Province. After that, we will be doing two campaigns daily in two districts. We believe we will reach the entire country,” he noted.