MP Fidel Rwigamba elected to Pan-African Parliament

Fidel Rwigamba has been elected to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).The former secretary-general in the Senate garnered 64 votes, beating his RPF-coalition challenger, MP Christine Muhongayire, who got 10 votes. Two votes were declared invalid. Rwanda’s newest representative to the legislative body of the African Union will replace the late Tharcisse Shamakokera who passed away in February last year.“While I was secretary-general in the Senate, I also acted as coordinator for the Parliaments of the region. This gave me ample experience as I got an insight into the operations of parliaments in the region,” Rwigamba said while wooing voters on Wednesday.Rwigamba who also previously worked as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. Like all the other 47 member countries, Rwanda has five seats in the PAP, also known as the African Parliament. Members serve for five years.Other Rwandan representatives are: MP Jeanne d’Arc Nyinawase, of the Liberal Party (PL); Senator Gallican Niyongana, of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), MP Juliana Kantengwa (RPF), and Senator Jeanne d’Arc Mukakalisa who replaced her Centrist Democratic Party (PDC) colleague, Agnès Mukabaranga.Kantengwa is the Fourth Vice-President, representing the Eastern African Region, while Nyinawase is the Vice-Chairperson of the permanent Committee on Health, Labour, and Social Affairs.

National

MP Fidel Rwigamba elected to Pan-African Parliament