Candidates vying for the 14 Senate elective seats are today expected to start campaigning.

According to the Executive Secretary of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Charles Munyaneza, the campaigns will kick from Kigali City and in the Southern Province.

"All candidates from Kigali City will be campaigning at 10am at the National Stadium while those campaigning to represent universities in the senate will campaign from Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST),” said Munyaneza.

Candidates are aspiring for seats representing the four Provinces and Kigali City, and two representatives from public and private institutions of higher learning.

According to Munyaneza, "campaigns will also be conducted in the Southern Province at the same time.”

In the Southern Province, the campaigns will be carried out in Nyaruguru District.

So far we are in the final phase and NEC will provide transport to members of the electoral colleges during the campaigns.”

The colleges will be made up of councilors from districts and sectors all over the country, while those representing universities will be composed of only permanent lecturers, who are Rwandan nationals and registered in their respective institutions.

Meanwhile, Louis Kanamugire, a senatorial candidate from the Eastern Province pulled out of the race before the campaigns could start.

According to the NEC Executive Secretary, Kanamugire cited personal reasons for his withdrawal from the race.

Of the 26 members of the Senate, only 14 will be elected.

The President will nominate eight other members of the Upper Chamber while the Consultative Forum for Political Parties will nominate four.

Two people will be elected in the Northern Province, one in Kigali City, while three will be elected in each of the other provinces.

The number of Senators representing provinces is based on the number of registered voters in the constituencies, and the province with the highest number of voters gets the highest number of seats in the Senate.

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