Four candidates seeking to represent the City of Kigali in the Senate after the September 16 elections have pledged to promote job creation and gender equality, among other drivers of national development. As they sought votes from members of the Electoral College in Nyarugenge District on September 2, Hellen Katushime, Esperance Nyirasafari, Pravda Mfurankunda and Edi-Jones Nkubito, highlighted national development as their priority. ALSO READ: Senate candidates hit the campaign trail ahead of September polls Nyarugenge was their second campaign stop after in Gasabo District on August 27. Campaigns for Senate candidates began on August 26. The four contenders are among 32 candidates vying for 14 elective seats in the Senate, which has 26 seats in total. Eight Senators are appointed by the President, while four others are designated by the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations. ALSO READ: Campaign of senatorial aspirants begins on August 26 Nyirasafari, who is currently the Senate Vice President in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, said if she gets another term in upper house, she will facilitate the decentralisation process to foster the development of all Rwandans, through the five-year National Strategy for Transformation (NST2). “My focus will be on voting for and supporting initiatives aligned with NST2, which targets the advancement of all sectors within the country,” Nyirasafari, a former Minister of Sports and Culture and Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, told the 30-member Electoral College. ALSO READ: Unpacking Rwanda’s five-year development strategy: Here are the 14 goals Nyirasafari, who holds of a master’s degree in international law, joined the Senate in 2019 after she was appointed by President Paul Kagame. She emphasized that her priorities for national development included job creation, the promotion of gender equality, and coordination with government institutions and development partners. For Nkubito, a professor at the University of Kigali, the promotion of innovation across all sectors, with a particular focus on tourism, held the key to accelerated national development. “By promoting innovation in tourism, we can attract more visitors to our country, which in turn will boost investment in this critical sector,” said Nkubito, who teaches in entrepreneurship at the university. He also said enhancing entrepreneurial skills among the youth and ensuring the stability of agricultural produce markets were equally important. ALSO READ: Senatorial elections: 32 senate candidates approved “As an entrepreneurship professor, I understand the importance of equipping our youth with the skills necessary to create new jobs rather than relying solely on existing ones,” he said. He said if he is elected, he will also promote investment and policies aimed at empowering women to boost their contribution to national development. Pravda Mfurankunda, a professor at the University of Rwanda, said that he if he is elected into the Rwandan Senate, he will advocate for more efforts in civic education. “I am committed to promoting civic education because the foundation of national development begins at the grassroots level. By teaching the youth about our history and instilling in them the values that build strong nations, we can drive inclusive development for our country.” said Mfurankunda, a former councillor for the City of Kigali. The 32 candidates vying for 14 seats in the Senate include three from Northern Province, namely Laetitia Nyinawamwiza, Jean d'Amour Gatera, and Amandin Rugira. Southern Province has seven candidates, Pelagie Uwera, Innocent Nkurunziza, Innocent Iyakaremye, Aimée Jaqueline Umutangana, Adrie Umuhire, Sosthène Cyitatire, and Elisabeth Mukamana. Five candidates are campaigning for Eastern Province. These are John Bonds Bideri, Aphrodise Nambaje, Angeline Urujeni, Fulgence Nsengiyumva, and Alvera Mukabaramba, who is the current Senate Vice President in charge of Finance and Administration. Western Province has nine candidates, namely Emmanuel Havugimana, Celestin Kabahizi, Boniface Nyaminani, Theobard Mporanyi, Sylvestre Hitimana, Speciose Nyirabahire, Marie Rose Mureshyankwano, Cyprien Niyomugabo, and Bernadette Nzabamwita. Three candidates, Anne Marie Kagwesage, Telesphore Ngarambe, and Evariste Ntakirutimana, are vying for one seat reserved for the representative of public universities in the Senate. One candidate, Penina Uwimbabazi, who wants to represent private universities, is campaigning unopposed.
