As stipulated by Article 66 of the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, providing for the commencement of office for Members of Parliament, the President of the Republic H.E Paul Kagame presided over the swearing-in of newly elected 80 Members of Parliament, Chamber of Deputies making the fifth term. This ceremony took place in the Parliament building at Kimihurura. During the same ceremony also Prime Minister Dr Ngirente Eduard took oath of Office.
In his address, President Paul Kagame said that all institutions should work together to serve Rwandans and improve their work in every possible way.
“In our country's governance, way of working, and politics, it is known and repeated every day by everyone, we all seem to agree that we must change our tragic history as Rwandans. We need to strengthen our governance structures, if you are elected to lead or appointed in other legal ways it is not just for people to occupy positions of leadership and think about themselves as the first thing, thinking that the benefits of their positions should start with just them, no. We should also benefit from our work and efforts as human beings. However, in our responsibilities as leaders, we should first and foremost think about Rwandans. Serving Rwandans is the most important thing and should be our first and foremost responsibility.” President Kagame Said
Right after the swearing-in, the Deputies elected the Bureau of the House, the Speaker, and two Deputy Speakers. Hon. Kazarwa Gertrude was elected as the Speaker, Hon. Harelimana Mussa Fazil was elected Deputy Speaker in charge of Finance and Administration, and Hon. Uwineza Beline was elected Deputy Speaker in charge of Parliamentary Affairs.
The newly-elected Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Rt. Hon. Kazarwa Gertrude, thanked the elected Rwandans and expressed the commitment of the Chamber of Deputies to collaborating with other institutions to fulfill their responsibilities to the people of Rwanda.
Rwanda continues to make history as the first country with a female majority in parliament, with 63.75% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies held by women. These include 53 from political parties, 24 women representatives, 2 representing the youth and 1 representing People with Disabilities.
