SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE – Aimée Mwizerwa made history yesterday by becoming the first ever female to hold the post of guild president of the National University of Rwanda (NUR)  - the country’s oldest and biggest public higher institution of learning.

Mwizerwa polled 177 votes out of the 240 votes cast and was declared winner for the post of guild president by the Varsity Rector Prof. Silas Lwakabamba who keenly followed the election process.

"I am greatly honoured to be voted into the highest office,” said an overjoyed Mwizerwa, adding, "the real work begins now as we embark on delivering on the promises we made during the campaigns.”

Her only challenger for the post, Issa Byarugaba pulled out of the race hours before polls paving way for her to run as the sole candidate.

The elections saw the attainment of the 30 percent representation of females in the student guild, as required by the student constitution.

Female members of the guild who sailed through the Thursday elections include; Therese Sugira who passed unopposed for the post of secretary general, Germaine Mukabalisa for gender and Pamela Mudakikwa for communication and public relations.

Providence Mukakalisa, the president of the University Women Association hailed the election of a female guild president, describing it as a great victory.

Pascaline Biraro, the outgoing gender minister, said females have gained confidence over time and the election gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership capability.

Medard Runyange, the Dean of students who also acted as the returning officer during the elections, declared the elections as free and fair in which no single candidate contested the results.

"We are satisfied with how the elections were held but the doors are still open for candidates who don’t feel satisfied to appeal against the results before they can be declared as final,” said Runyange.

Prof. Lwakabamba noted that the exercise did not disrupt other activities on the university campus, adding that they will take lessons from it in order to improve the next elections.

"Contrary to the past elections, this year classes continued as usual. The negative campaigns that were carried out along ethnic and other derogatory lines did not surface because the elections were better organised and all stakeholders were involved in the process,” he said.

Ends