Rwanda’s Second Senate is expected to be sworn-in today afternoon. Among those to take the oath of office include four presidential appointees, 14 elected from the four Provinces and Kigali City, and two representatives of public and private institutions of higher learning.

The New Times’ Edwin Musoni  & Bosco Asiimwe compiled the profiles of all the new senators:

Bernard Makuza (Presidential appointee)
Born on September 30, 1961 Makuza was until last Thursday the Prime Minister a position he had held for 11 years. Prior to that, Makuza served as the Rwandan Ambassador to Burundi and later Germany.

He also served as a legal adviser to the late former Prime Minister Agatha Uwiringiyimana.
Makuza is a lawyer by profession.

Dr Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo (Presidential appointee)
Born on August 8 1961, Dr Ntawukuriryayo was a deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies before the President picked him among his senatorial choices.

He holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy, which he obtained from Germany.A former presidential candidate (in the 2010 elections), D Ntawukuriryayo initially served as a state minister and minister in the ministries of; Education, Infrastructure, and Health, between 1999 and 2008.

Between 1995 and 1999, he was a senior lecturer and later vice rector at the National University of Rwanda (NUR).
He is also the secretary general of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

Tito Rutaremara (Presidential appointee)
Born in 1944, Rutaremara undertook his primary and part of his secondary school education in Rwanda. He later continued his secondary school and university studies in Uganda.

He obtained a Master’s Degree in Geography in France and later a doctorate in Rural and Urban Planning in France (Clermont Fervand).

He taught in primary and secondary schools as well as at the university level. From 1987-1993, he was the Secretary General of Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF). From 1994-2000, Rutaremara was a member of the Transitional National Assembly.

Between 2000-2003, he was the Chairman of the Legal & Constitutional Commission, which carried out countrywide consultations on the Constitution, which was later promulgated through a referendum in 2003.

In 2003 he appointed to become the country’s first Chief Ombudsman, a position he held until his latest appointment on Thursday.

Penelope Katarama (Presidential appointee)
A former Member of Parliament, Katarama also served as the Governor of the Western Province. She was later appointed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Security.