Kagame Directly & Indirectly Appoints 99% Of Rwandan Senators

By David Himbara

New Rwandan senators are coming on board as of September 20, 2019. But Rwandan senate is a rubber stamp under the constitution engineered by General Paul Kagame. Rwanda’s senate is embarrassing. The senate is composed of twenty-six (26) senators appointed as follows:

  • Eight (8) senators are directly appointed by Kagame.
  • Twelve (12) senators are nominated by national administrative entities, but heads of these entities are appointed by Kagame.
  • Four (4) senators are nominated by the forum of political parties, which is dominated by Kagame’s ruling party, RPF.
  • One (1) associate professor from public institutions of higher learning is nominated by universities headed by Kagame appointees.
  • One (1) associate professor is elected by private institutions of higher learning.

In other words, 99 percent of Rwandan senators are directly or indirectly appointed by Kagame. The 1 percent not directly or indirectly appointed by Kagame is the associate professor from private universities.

Despite the fact that the senators are unelected presidential appointees, the president of the senate is number 2 to the president of the republic. According to the constitution’s Article 105, if the president of the republic dies, resigns, or is incapacitated, he ”is then replaced in an acting capacity by the President of the Senate.”

General Kagame loves 99 percent. He won the last election in 2017 by 99 percent.