NYAGATARE- Fred Sabbiti Atuhe has been elected Nyagatare District Mayor while Rebecca Kalungi was elected vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs. 

The by-election was conducted on  Wednesday by 343 councillors drawn from all sectors of the district.

The posts fell vacant last month after the council fired the previous leaders for alleged mismanagement of public funds. 

In the elections presided over by officials of the National Election Commission, Atuhe won with 281 votes against his challenger, Damien Munyaneza who got only seven votes. 

Kalungi scooped the post of vice Mayor unopposed, with 260 votes. 

The post of deputy in charge of Economic Affairs remains vacant as its former occupant, Anselme Majoro Rurangwa was recently appointed new Gatsibo District Mayor. 

Sources within the District Advisory Council, explained that Rurangwa’s resignation letter was received late which could not give them ample time to prepare for his replacement.

In his victory speech, the new Mayor called on all administrative and security organs within the district to join hands in pushing the development agenda especially to complete the construction of classrooms to support the nine-year-Basic Education programme. 

"I call on everyone to support us (new leadership) in completing classrooms for our children and develop Umurenge Sacco programme so as to make our district’s future brighter,” he said. 

The Executive Secretary of Eastern Province, Yousuf Mugiraneza, who represented Governor Ephraim Kabaija, congratulated the new leaders, challenging them to utilise their new posts effectively. 

He advised them to fill the gap left by their predecessors and surpass what the previous leadership had set out to do.

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