Monique Mukaruliza, a former Rwandan Minister for East African Community (EAC) Affairs is the new Mayor of Kigali City.
Ms Mukaruliza, who served as her country’s EAC minister for about two years, has been the National Coordinator for the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NICP) and was elected after garnering 182 votes against her challenger Régine Mukeshimana, who got only 8 votes, cast by councilors from the Council of Kigali and those from districts and sectors within the City.
In the elections held at the Kigali Regional Stadium in Nyamirambo, Mukaruliza garnered 182 votes, while her challenger, Régine Mukeshimana obtained only eight votes.
Mukaruliza, who becomes the third woman to head Kigali City since the coming to power of the Rwanda Patriotic Front/Army (RPF/A) after the genocide of 1994, will replace Fidèle Ndayisaba, who has since been appointed the Executive Secretary for the National Commission for Unity and Reconciliation (NURC).
The other two women to head the city are Lt Col Rose Kabuye, the first post-genocide Mayor of Kigali and Aisha Kirabo Kakira, the first woman elected Mayor of Kigali.
Meanwhile, Parfait Busabizwa was elected as the vice mayor in charge of Economic Development while Judith Kazayire, the immediate former advisor to the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, was elected the vice mayor for Social Affairs.
