Prof. Jean Marie Vianney Kayishema, a candidate in the upcoming senatorial elections, has vowed to promote the Rwandan culture if elected.

Kayishema is among the contestants on a public institutions of higher learning ticket.

In an interview with The New Times, Kayishema, a lecturer in the department of languages at the National University of Rwanda (NUR), explained that his love for the promotion of Rwandan traditional values inspired him to contest for the seat. 

"I am an experienced lecturer in the field of theatre and drama, so it’s in this regard that I want to promote our culture as Rwandans through my profession because culture is a pillar for socio-economic development,” Prof. Kayishema who began teaching at NUR in 2002 said.

The don, who also heads the Youth Centre for Art and Drama at NUR, said that by promoting culture, Rwandans, especially the youth will mature into well-brought up citizens.

This, he said, would help them fight any kind of division among them.

He said that if elected, he would strive for culture and quality education by advocating for the youth and working with the ministries and other concerned institutions to ensure that their voice is heard.

Kayishema, 65, is married with five children. He worked in Burundi and Canada before embarking on the teaching career at NUR.

He holds a PhD in Literature from Laval University in Canada and a Bachelors Degree in Roman Philology from Louvenium University in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).   

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