Gakuba scoops Kigali City

KIGALI - Tentative results of the City of Kigali senatorial elections indicate that former city Vice Mayor, Jeanne d’Arc Gakuba, won the elections with a landslide victory of 81 percent. Gakuba was vying for the city Senatorial seat alongside eight other candidates. Of the 203 members of the Electoral College, 164 voted in her favour. Kigali City is represented by one person in the senate. Gakuba’s closest rivals, Wellars Mukama and Consolate Mukabera got 18 and 11 votes, respectively. Mukama is Rwanda’s former Ambassador to Burundi. Paul Mbaraga got four votes, Malonga Pacifique two. Andre Leon Uwimana and Andre Gaparayi Mutangana got one vote each while Phoebe Kanyange got no vote. The Electoral Colleges were composed of district and sector councils. However, three sector councillors; the Chairperson of the council, the Vice Chairperson and the Secretary from each of the 416 sectors in the country cast their votes. Speaking to The New Times, shortly after the elections, Gakuba said that she was contented with the preliminary results. “The elections were conducted in a transparent manner and tentative results indicate that I am likely to win the senatorial elections of Kigali City,” Gakuba said. She added that; “if I happen to enter the Senate, I promise Rwandans I will serve them to their expectations.” Gakuba, 51, served as the vice mayor in charge of women promotion and gender between 2001 and 2005 and was re-elected in 2006 as the vice mayor in charge social development in the city. She holds a degree in geography and is one of the few local government leaders who served all her two terms in office.Gasabo In Gasabo District, Gakuba received 66 of the 80 votes cast. Her closest rival in the district, Mukama got six while Mukabera got three votes. Uwimana, Mbaraga, Mutangana and Malonga, got one vote each. According to the head of Gasabo Polling Station, Julius Nkusi, the turnout was impressive and of the 85 voters, only five did not vote. “The majority of the voters cast their ballots early morning,” said Nkusi. One of the voters, Rosemary Mukanyirigira, the Secretary of Gikomero Sector Advisory Council, said that she was impressed with the way the elections were conducted. “We are aware of the importance of these elections; the voters represent the masses in their constituencies and this is why we were conscious when casting our votes. We vote people who are committed to a brighter future of our country,” said Mukanyirigira.Nyarugenge In Nyarugenge District, Gakuba got 51 out of 61 votes cast. Her closest rivals, Mukabera and Mukama polled five and three votes, respectively. With the exception of Malonga and Mukabatsinda, who polled one vote each, others received no vote in Nyarugenge. The counting of votes was conducted in the presence of election observers and candidates’ agents. The agents signed after the counting as testimony that the electoral process was free and fair election process in addition to agreeing to the results. Valence Kamari, the election coordinator in Nyarugenge also said that voters cast their ballots in the morning observing that the exercise went smoothly.Kicukiro In Kicukiro District, Gakuba emerged the victor with 47 ballots out of 62 votes cast while Mukama and Mukabera got nine and three votes each. Olive Kansanga, who represented the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in Kicukiro, noted that there were no hindrances to the process. Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of NEC, Charles Munyaneza, said that elections were conducted in a calm situation countrywide. “There wasn’t any case of malpractice across the country and the turnout was extremely impressive at all polling stations,” noted Munyaneza Out of the 51 candidates countrywide, who were contesting to represent provinces and the city in the senate, only 12 will be elected. The Eastern, Western and the Southern provinces are represented by three people each while the Northern Province has only two seats in the senate. The Senate is made up of 26 members with eight others nominated by the President while the Consultative Forum for Political Organisations (CFPO) appoints four. Ends