Ben Niyonshuti has emerged as the leading candidate in the provisional results of the by-election for the youth representative in the Chamber of Deputies. He secured 47 votes, or 23.9 per cent of the votes cast; the closest challenger got 20 votes. The final results of the by-election are expected to be announced by September 9. Niyonshuti, who will turn 27 in December, was born and raised in Nyarugenge District, Kigali. ALSO READ: 27-year-old wins youth MP by-election: provisional results His journey into youth leadership began in 2017 while he was still in secondary school. He started by participating in youth structures at a local level before taking part in the Cell Council through National Youth Council structures. He subsequently took on responsibilities at sector level. ALSO READ: 54 candidates cleared for youth MP by-election “I became involved in youth structures starting at village level,” Niyonshuti told The New Times on Thursday, September 3, one day after the results were announced. Education and professional career Niyonshuti holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and Local Governance from University of Kigali. ALSO READ: NEC opens applications to fill youth MP seat He has also undertaken leadership and professional training in public leadership, policy, youth engagement, financial consumer protection, gender equality and community development. He currently serves as Director of Governance, Strategy and Operations Excellence at GovernWell Rwanda, where he works on governance, strategy, research, community development, institutional engagement and development initiatives. His professional experience also includes youth entrepreneurship programmes, agricultural and community-development projects, research and consulting assignments. Outside his professional career, Niyonshuti is an entrepreneur involved in the wholesale clothing business, sourcing products from China and supplying the Kigali market. He said the business has helped him understand some of the issues facing young people. “This has given me practical experience of the opportunities and challenges young entrepreneurs face,” he said. From community service to the ballot Niyonshuti has also been involved in Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he helped coordinate teams of young volunteers supporting vulnerable families and participating in public-health awareness, mass testing and vaccination activities. “My decision to contest for the youth representative seat was therefore a continuation of a journey of youth leadership and public service that began at grassroots level,” he said. Through his interactions with young people, Niyonshuti said he has seen both their potential and the challenges they face, particularly in accessing employment, finance, skills, technology, markets and other opportunities. He believes Parliament can provide a platform to ensure that young people’s concerns are reflected in legislation, oversight and national priorities. What he wants to focus on “Should the results be confirmed, my focus will be on listening to young people, representing them responsibly and contributing constructively to Rwanda’s continued development,” he said. He identified entrepreneurship, technology and artificial intelligence, modern agriculture and the green economy among areas where young people could benefit from emerging opportunities. “I believe Parliament provides an important platform to ensure that young people’s aspirations and concerns are reflected in legislation, oversight and national priorities,” he said.
