President Paul Kagame, yesterday, overwhelmingly won the Presidential primaries in Kigali City for his party, Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF Inkotanyi) , winning 374 out of 380 votes, against his competitor, Senator Jose Kagabo.

The New Times’ reporter, Bosco R. Asiimwe,  asked some of the voters why they chose Kagame.

"Who doesn’t know the President’s role in stopping the Genocide?  He is the cornerstone of unity among Rwandans. When they talk of  a fast developing country where all citizens have joined hands to realize this, the whole world knows its Rwanda, and the President has been at the forefront of all this.
Many countries now get lessons on good governance from Rwanda, and this is all because of Kagame.
All this explains why everyone still wants him to continue leading this country.

Bonifance Rucagu, Itorero national coordinator.

"It’s simple to describe President Kagame and why he should continue as president of this country. What he has done in the last seven years is clear to everyone. Rwanda is at last a secure country. There is gender balance and the poor have not been left out.
The programs he initiated like Girinka (one cow per poor household) to get the needy out of poverty, health insurance (Mutuelle de Sante) which has significantly reduced death rates, especially among children and building more health centres is enough evidence that Kagame can still do a lot for us.”  

Solange Mukasonga, RPF secretary in Kigali City.

"There is nothing to explain because it’s evident to everyone. With all the achievements he has made in lifting this country from the ashes of Genocide to being a model country where other countries get lessons, he even deserves something more than this.”

John Bosco Harelimana, Coordinator of JOC, a youth organisation of the Catholic Church in Kigali.

"He is the right person to take this country to another level in development. He has made it a transparent country, where everyone has space to live in peace, unlike  in the past regimes.”

Marcel Hagenimana. student at the Byumba Technical Institute (IPB)

"We elected him (kagame) because of his commitment that has seen tremendous achievements during his term, even exceeding what was in his manifesto. With his good governance credentials and his role in stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, we are still convinced that he’s the right person to lead this country. He will help us realize vision 2020.”

Felix Mutagoma, Member of RPF in Niboye sector, Kicukiro district.

Ends