About 50,000 residents of Nyagatare District, in Eastern Province, on Monday, June 24, gathered in Karama village as parliamentary hopefuls of the ruling RPF-Inkotanyi party started their two-week campaign trail ahead of next month's general elections.
Nestled in the center of Nyagatare District, Karama village started welcoming the ruling party's jubilant supporters in the wee hours of Monday, with residents of all the six sectors of the district descending in the same area.
RPF has fronted 80 parliamentary candidates; 38 women and 42 men.
"RPF means a lot to me and my family"
Alice Kabatesi, 46, one of the thousands of voters who attended the Nyagatare rally, told The New Times that "RPF means a lot to me and my family."
Kabatesi has resided in the area for the past 25 years and, in her view, the area's transformation "speaks for itself."
"I am a staunch fan of RPF because of the strides and support the party has given me and my family. My children go to school in a short distance. They no longer have to walk miles away from home. We have electricity and this was not the same experience 20 years ago."
Among others, a World Bank-funded project meant to provide better roads, street lighting and drainage systems to Rwanda's six secondary cities has enhanced urbanisation in Nyagatare city, with new asphalt roads, and standalone drainage systems established, opening up opportunities in real estate development and business.
In the past seven years, the district also saw major development milestones, particularly in education where 1,248 classrooms were built, access to electricity rose from 34 percent to 71 percent, and access to safe water grew from 62 percent to 78 percent.
A stadium worth Rwf9 billion was constructed and a milk processing plant was also constructed. Inyange Industries, Rwanda's largest agro-processing firm, set up a milk powder factory with an estimated $45 million (about Rwf48 billion) investment, in the district.
Nyagatare district was ranked first in delivering on the Imihigo (performance contracts) scoring 81.64per cent for the year 2021-2022.
Seen, firsthand, what good politics brings
Kabatesi predicted that RPF candidates would win the elections with a landslide, pointing at the Nyagatare crowd as an example.
She shared similar sentiments with Justin Mugabo, 21, a first-time voter who attended the rallies.
"It is my first time attending such an event and I can't wait to vote for RPF," Mugabo said.
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"I have grown up here, studied here, and seen, firsthand, what good politics bring to the people."
At the campaign site, party supporters clad in RPF-branded shirts and t-shirts with matching caps.
They carried placards with the words "Niyo, Niyo," loosely translated as the one.
Rwandans will go to the polls from July 14-15 to pick the next Head of State and members of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house. It will be the first time the country holds presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time, following the revision of the constitution to allow for synchronized elections.
Incumbent President Paul Kagame is the RPF flagbearer for the presidential ticket.
Kagame has two opponents; lawmaker Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party, and independent candidate Philip Mpayimana.
