The preliminary Senatorial election results have started trickling in with William Ntidendereza beating three other candidates to emerge the winner of the City of Kigali seat. Ntidendereza took the lead with 66 votes equivalent to 60 per cent beating Zeno Mutimura who came in second with only 18 per cent. Candidate John Butera came third with 14.5 per cent while Ignace Mpabuka Rwakayiro came fourth with 7.7 per cent. In the Northern Province, Dr Laetitia Nyinawamwiza, the Principal of University of Rwanda- College of Agriculture, Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and Dr Faustin Habineza beat five other candidates to clinch seats in the Upper Chamber of Parliament. The elections kicked off this morning where electoral Colleges in the four Provinces and the City of Kigali are voting in an exercise where 12 candidates out of 58 will be joining Rwandas third Senate. Of the 12 elected senators, one is from the City of Kigali, two come from the Northern Province, while each of the other three provinces elects three senators. In Kigali elections are the culmination of the campaigns that kicked off on July 22. Rwanda’s Senate is made up of 26 members – including the 12 members who represent the country’s four provinces and the City of Kigali and are picked through electoral colleges – and eight senators appointed by the President of the Republic. Four Senators come from the Forum of Political parties and two from institutions of higher learning; one each from public and private universities respectively. The senatorial post for the private universities/ higher institutions of learning has three candidates competing, while that for public ones has only two. The election for these candidates is slated for tomorrow.
