KIGALI - The Supreme Court has released the list of candidates who passed the screening exercise and got the nod to contest in next month’s senatorial elections.

On August 17, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) forwarded, to the Supreme Court, 62 candidates vying for the 14 elective seats, for vetting.

They include aspirants for seats representing the four Provinces and Kigali City, and two representatives from public and private institutions of higher learning.

NEC Executive Secretary, Charles Munyaneza, yesterday said that they were awaiting the vetting exercise before announcing the names of the contestants.

"We have been waiting for the vetting process to be completed so that we can announce the final list,” Munyaneza said.

He disclosed that of the 62 candidates, the Supreme Court confirmed 58, with four disqualified.

According to Munyaneza, three of the candidates were disqualified on academic grounds while one was disqualified because he did not submit a valid criminal
record certificate from the prosecution.

The law requires candidates for senatorial seats to at least have a university degree or must have worked in a senior government office.

"Three candidates did not show evidence of the academic requirements, while the fourth presented an expired criminal record document,” Munyaneza said.

Of the 16 candidates who vied for the Southern Province slot, all qualified. The Eastern Province had 15 candidates and two were disqualified. 

Western Province had 11 and two were disqualified. All the five candidates from the Northern Province qualified as well as the nine from Kigali City.

All the five contestants on the slot for Public Universities and the sole candidate for Private Universities qualified.Of the 26 members of the Senate, only 14 will be elected.

The President will nominate eight others while the Consultative Forum for Political Parties will nominate four.

Two people will be elected in the Northern Province, one in Kigali City, while three people will be elected in each of the other provinces.

The number of Senators representing provinces is based on the number of registered voters in the constituencies, and the province with the highest number of
voters gets the highest number of seats in the Senate.

The electoral colleges at the provincial level will be composed of district and sector councils while those representing universities will be composed of only permanent lecturers, who are Rwandan nationals and registered in their respective institutions.

Munyaneza says that the next step would be the campaigns slated to kick-off September 6.

The list of approved candidates

PROVINCE/ KIGALI CITY NAMES OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES KIGALI CITY 

1. KANYANGE Phoebe
2. MALONGA Pacifique
3. MUTANGANA GAPARAYI André
4. MBARAGA Paul
5. MUKABATSINDA Anathorie
6. GAKUBA Jeanne d’Arc
7. MUKABERA Consolata
8. UWIMANA André Léon
9. MUKAMA Wellars
EASTERN PROVINCE 1. KARIMBA Richard
2. MUTEZINTARE John Bosco
3. MUKAMPABUKA Vérène
4. RUGEMA Michel
5. SIBOMANA Gérard
6. KANAMUGIRE Louis
7. UWINGABIRE Fausca
8. KARUGU RUBIMBURA Charles
9. MUKABALISA Donatille
10.  MUNYANDINDA Emmanuel
11.  RUZIBUKA John Bosco
12.  MUGISHA Robert
13.  SEBUHORO Céléstin

WESTERN PROVINCE 

1. UWAMARIYA Floride
2. NSENGUMURENYI Senglo Louis
3. UWIMANA Lucie
4. BUTERA Jean Claude
5. UWIMANA Consolée
6. BISHAGARA KAGOYIRE Thérèse
7. MUSHINZIMANA Appolinaire
8. SINDIKUBWABO Jean Népomuscène
9. MANYEMBWA NTAGARA Thaddée
NORTHERN PROVINCE 1. BIZIMANA Evariste
2. MUSABEYEZU Narcisse
3. NYIRANGORORE Anastasie
4. RYAMUGEMA Vincent
5. KAMI RUSINGIZA Arthur

SOUTHERN PROVINCE 

1. MPAYIMANA François Xavier
2. MUNYAKAYANZA Jean François
3. UMUKOBWA Bellancille
4. UWAYEZU Jean Fidèle
5. KAMBANDA RUCWELI Hormisdas
6. MUKASINE Marie Claire
7. UWIZEYE Fidèle
8. MUKAMUSONERA Marie Claire
9. HAVUGIMANA Emmanuel
10.  NYIRACUMU Josepha
11.  BIZIMANA Jean Damascène
12.  MUKANSANGA Marguerite
13.  NIYONGANA Gallican
14.  MUREBWAYIRE Clotilde
15.  NKURAYIJE Jean de la Croix
16.  RUHIGANA Vénuste

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES’ CANDIDATES 

1. BYANAFASHE Déogratias
2. NTAGWIRUMUGARA Etienne
3. BAJYANA Emmanuel
4. KAYISHEMA Jean Marie Vianney
5. KANANGA SIMBA NTALE
PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES’ CANDIDATE 1. NKUSI Laurent

Ends