President Paul Kagame on October 24 officiated at the swearing-in of six senators, four of whom are new, while two have embarked on a second five-year term. The new senators are Valentine Uwamariya, Alfred Gasana, Alphonse Nkubana, and Frank Habineza, while those returning to the Upper House are Prof. Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, and Evode Uwizeyimana. Uwamariya, Gasana, Dusingizemungu, and Uwizeyimana were appointed by Kagame on October 21, while Nkubana and Habineza were nominated by the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations (NFPO) on October 14, and their nomination was approved by the Supreme Court on October 15. Dusingizemungu and Uwizeyimana are going to serve their second term. According to the Rwandan Constitution, Senators are appointed or elected to serve a five-year term renewable once, except former Heads of State who are not subject to term limits. ALSO READ: Six senators set to complete their terms next week Uwamariya and Gasana replaced Epiphanie Kanziza and André Twahirwa. Habineza, the President of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), and Nkubana, the Chairman of the Prosperity and Solidarity Party (PSP) replaced Senators Alexis Mugisha of DGPR and Clotilde Mukakarangwa of Centrist Democratic Party (PDC), who completed one five-year term. ALSO READ: Politicians Habineza, Nkubana nominated for Senate Here is a look at the four new faces in the Upper House, which now has a gender parity. Valentine Uwamariya Uwamariya, 54, is an accomplished environmental scientist and leader with a PhD from UNESCO-IHE and Delft University of Technology and extensive experience in government and academia. She holds PhD in environmental science and water technology. With seven years of leadership, including ministerial roles in environment, gender and family promotion, and education in Rwanda, Uwamariya has a strong background in policy design, institutional development, and organisational change. She also held academic positions at Rwanda Polytechnic, from assistant lecturer to dean and deputy vice chancellor, demonstrating expertise in environmental science, chemistry, and education policy. Uwamariya she was the Minister of Environment: from June 2024 to July 2025; Minister of Gender and Family Promotion from August 2023 to June 2024; and the Minister of Education from February 2020 to August 2023. She also served as Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of trainings, Institutional Development and Research at Rwanda Polytechnic from November 2019 to February 2020. Alfred Gasana Gasana, 57, was the Minister of Interior, from 2021 to 2024. From 2011 to 2021, he served as the Director General of Internal Intelligence and Security Service at National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS). From 2003 to 2011, he was a Member of Parliament in the Chamber of Deputies. Other positions he held include being the Vice Mayor in Charge of Economic and Development Affairs in the former Ndiza District, in the former Gitarama Prefecture (now Southern Province), from 2001 to 2003; and Mayor of Nyakabanda Commune, in the same prefecture from 1997 to 2001. He holds a bachelor's degree in law. Frank Habineza Habineza, 48, is a political leader, public administrator, environmentalist, security and defence expert, who has had several work experiences. From November 2024 up to date, he has served in organizational management of the Africa Center for Peace Security and Environmental Affairs (ACPSEA). Habineza was also a Member of Parliament (MP), serving as Vice President, Social Affairs Committee in the Chamber of Deputies, from October 2018 to June 2024. He was an executive president managing the organisational membership and projects at Rwanda Wildlife Clubs/Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organization from September 2000-September 2005 From 2018 to 2019, he served as the executive director, working as a chief operations manager, in charge of organizational management, partnerships, staff, media, Government and international relations at African Greens Federation. For his educational background, he has been awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities in Bethel University. He holds a master's degree of science in war studies from Swedish Defence University. He also has a bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Rwanda. ALSO READ: What to know about new Senate nominees Habineza and Nkubana Alphonse Nkubana Nkubana, 51, is an entrepreneur, financial strategist and political leader whose career spans more than twenty-five years across the fields of business, governance, diplomacy and institutional development. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Positive Thinking Ltd, a company he established in 2011, which today serves as a partner to organisations across Rwanda, providing vehicle rental, corporate transport, cleaning services and other professional solutions. His expertise extends beyond entrepreneurship to public service and political leadership, where he has played a key role in fostering cooperation and advancing Rwanda’s political landscape. Since 2019, Nkubana serves as chairman of PSP party. Between September 2024 and March 2025, he served as Spokesperson of the NFPO. Nkubana holds a master's degree in international relations from Mount Kenya University and a bachelor's degree in accounting from the Université Libre de Kigali (ULK), alongside extensive experience in financial management, stakeholder engagement and organisational leadership.
