Frank Habineza, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, has promised to establish a milk processing plant if elected. This pledge was made on July 10, during the party’s campaign rally in Byumba Sector, Gicumbi District.

Habineza, who has frequently visited Gicumbi during his tenure as a member of parliament, emphasized Green Party’s commitment to fulfilling its promises. He stated, "We are not afraid to canvass for votes because we have achieved over 70 percent of what was in our manifesto.”

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Habineza outlined plans to enhance public health insurance, ensuring all necessary medications are accessible under the insurance scheme. Additionally, he proposed improvements to the school feeding programme by increasing the budget to provide more nutritious meals for students.

According to him, Gicumbi District is renowned for high-quality cow’s milk, yet faces challenges in milk collection. While a milk powder factory exists in neighboring Nyagatare District, Habineza highlighted the need for a processing facility in Gicumbi to serve the community better and create job opportunities.

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He explained, "Although a factory has been built in Nyagatare District, there is a significant distance between there and Gicumbi. We plan to establish a factory in each sector to process the agricultural and livestock products available.”

Habineza assured area residents that if the Green Party candidates are elected, they would help increase the value of milk produced in Gicumbi, allowing it to be marketed in Kigali and beyond. "Collection centres are good for storing milk, but we need to process it, package it well, and send it to Kigali. We can also export to Uganda due to its proximity. The key is to increase the value,” he said.

Habineza is campaigning alongside 50 parliamentary candidates seeking seats in the chamber of deputies. The party had two members in the recently dissolved parliament.