A presidential order has set out the electoral colleges that will elect local leaders across Rwanda, giving effect to provisions of the country's new Organic Law governing elections ahead of local government elections scheduled between October 10 and December 15. The new Organic Law, gazetted in May, provides for the composition of electoral colleges to be determined through a Presidential Order rather than being prescribed in the law itself. At the time, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said the move was intended to provide greater flexibility by eliminating the need to amend the Organic Law whenever adjustments to electoral colleges became necessary. ALSO READ: NEC explains key reforms in new electoral law The newly published Presidential Order now implements that provision by specifying who elects leaders at every level of local government, from villages to the City of Kigali, while also setting candidate qualifications and other election procedures. From direct elections to electoral colleges The order maintains direct elections at the village level, where eligible residents vote for members of the Village Executive Committee. From the cell level upwards, however, leadership is largely elected through electoral colleges bringing together representatives from lower administrative entities and institutions. ALSO READ: Local government elections schedule released For instance, Cell Councils comprise representatives elected from villages alongside representatives of the National Women's Council, National Youth Council, National Council of Persons with Disabilities, schools and the private sector. Members of the council then elect their bureau from among themselves. At sector level, the electoral college expands to include representatives from every cell together with representatives of schools, health facilities, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and the three national councils. How district leaders will be elected The order also clarifies the composition of electoral colleges that will elect district leaders. District councillors will be elected by an electoral college comprising members of Cell Council bureaus, Sector Councils, executive committees of the National Women's Council, National Youth Council and National Council of Persons with Disabilities at district level, as well as representatives of the Private Sector Federation. ALSO READ: A closer look at local government structure ahead of 2026 elections Women district councillors, who must account for at least 30 per cent of District Council members, will be elected through a separate electoral college established under the order. Meanwhile, District Executive Committees will be elected by a broader electoral college comprising members of Cell Council bureaus, Sector Councils, District Councils, executive committees of the National Women's Council, National Youth Council and National Council of Persons with Disabilities at district level, together with representatives of the Private Sector Federation. City of Kigali follows similar approach For the City of Kigali, the order provides that members of the City Council will be elected by members of Sector Councils in the three districts of the capital. The Executive Committee of the City of Kigali will, in turn, be elected by members of the City Council together with members of Sector Councils. Candidate requirements Besides defining electoral colleges, the Presidential Order also sets the qualifications for candidates seeking various local leadership positions. Candidates for Village Executive Committees must be Rwandan citizens aged at least 21, be persons of integrity, have completed at least six years of primary education, reside or conduct activities in the village where they seek election, and satisfy the requirements of the Organic Law governing elections. Similar eligibility requirements apply to candidates seeking election to Cell and Sector Councils.
