The chairperson and presidential candidate of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), Frank Habineza, has promised Nyabihu and Rubavu residents to improve the school feeding programme if they elect him.

The 47-year-old who is running for presidency for the second time said this during his campaign trail in Mukamira sector, Nyabihu District, and in Mahoko trading center in Rubavu District on Tuesday, July 2.

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Habineza said his party advocated for getting rid of hunger in schools back in 2017 and will also improve the school feeding programme in line with ensuring quality education.

"We plan to build dining halls across all schools in the country so that students will have nice places to get meals from. You observe that school children have their meals from classes, and it takes them a lot of time to clean so that they start class again. We shall address that challenge when you vote for me and our parliamentary candidates," he said.

Habineza said meals will also be enriched as part of improving the school feeding programme. Habineza earlier told The New Times that he is better positioned this time around, thanks to a number of achievements the party registered and the structures it put in place.

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In the 2017 polls, Habineza secured less than one percent of the votes as incumbent President Paul Kagame a 99 percent landslide victory. Unfazed by the setback, Habineza’s party persisted in its political endeavours, contesting in the 2018 parliamentary elections where it won two parliamentary seats.

Mukamira residents who spoke to The New Times agree that supporting the initiative of providing dining halls for each school to get a conducive learning environment is essential.

Fabien Munyaneza, 35, a farmer in Bugeshi Cell, Mukamira Sector, understands how crucial a dining hall is. He was attentively following the party&039;s manifesto and he noted: "Our school has a dining hall, but there are some schools without any. Therefore, constructing more dining halls is a good initiative that should be supported though it is not such a big problem.”

ALSO: School feeding programme budget rises to Rwf90 bn

In February, Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente announced an increase in the budget for the school feeding programme. The programme's budget rose from Rwf22.1 billion in the 2021/22 fiscal year to Rwf90 billion in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

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The progamme which initially catered for high school students experienced a significant transformation in 2021 to extend its reach to all levels in public and government-aided schools.