Electoral Colleges in the four Provinces and the City of Kigali are voting in an exercise where 12 candidates out of 58 will be part of the country’s Third Senate. The elections for the City of Kigali kicked off midmorning today and are expected to reveal who among candidates John Butera, Mutimura Zeno, Ignace Mpabuka Rwakayiro and William Ntidendereza will be in the Senate for the next five year (renewable once) term. 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 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. The senatorial post for the private universities/ higher institutions of learning has 3 candidates competing, while that for public ones has only 2. The elections to choose these is slated for tomorrow.
