The Bureau of the Senate
The Bureau of the Senate consists of the President of the Senate and the two Vice President. One is responsible for parliamentary affairs and the other is responsible for administration and finance.
Responsibilities:
1. to ensure management of the activities of the Senate;
2. to monitor cooperation between the Senate and other institutions;
3. to observe and implement the decisions of the Plenary Assembly;
4. to solve urgent problems not provided for in this Organic Law and that could hinder the effective functioning of the Senate;
5. to prepare the agenda of the Conference of Chairpersons;
6. to submit to the Conference of Chairpersons the draft agenda of the ordinary session of the Plenary Assembly;
7. to prepare and adopt the draft agenda of extraordinary sessions if the need arises;
8. to follow up the drafting of the organizational structure of the Senate and refer it to the Conference of Chairpersons for further inputs;
9. to follow up the recruitment of competent personnel of the Senate and its deployment;
10. to oversee security-related matters in the building of the Senate;
11. to oversee the functioning of parliamentary networks and forums;
12. to lay down responsibilities of friendship groups and supervise their performance;
13. to receive and assess the faithful declaration of assets of the Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsmen and other staff members of the Office of the Ombudsman who are required to declare their assets;
14. to approve a former Head of State as Senator;
15. to monitor the performance appraisal for the staff of the Senate;
16. to perform any other activity of the Senate which are not under the responsibility of any other organ.
The President of the Senate
Rt. Hon. Dr Kalinda François-Xavier
President of the Senate
Right Honorable Dr Kalinda François-Xavier is the President of the Senate since 09 January 2023. He was appointed Senator by the President of the Republic of Rwanda. Before this, He served as a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) from October 2015 to December 2022.
President of the Senate spent his entire career in academics and research. He held several positions, including the Dean of the School of Law/ College of Arts and the Social Sciences/ University of Rwanda, Senior Lecturer in law; Labour law and social security; intellectual property, Research methodology and Member of the High Council of the National Public Prosecution Authority representing Public High Learning Institutions.
Dr. Kalinda François-Xavier authored several legal-related publications, books and articles.
Vice Presidents
Hon. Nyirahabimana Soline
The Vice President in charge of Parliamentary Affairs
Honarable Nyirahabimana Solina is the Vice-President of the Senate in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, a role held since September 26, 2024. She holds a Master’s Degree of Social Science in Gender and Development and a Bachelor Degree in Law.
Previously, she served as Minister of State in charge of Constitutional and Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Justice (2020-2024) and Minister for Gender and Family Promotion (2018-2020). From 2011 to 2013, Honorable Nyirahabimana was Rwanda's Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and other International Organizations.
She has also held prominent positions such as Minister in the Office of the President (2002-2011), Director General in charge of Legal and Constitutional Affairs in the Office of the President (2000-2002), Human Rights Commissioner (1999-2000) and Consultant for “Reseaux des Femmes” & Executive Secretary of “Haguruka” for the promotion of women and child’s rights 1994-1999.
Hon. Mukabaramba Alvera
The Vice President in charge of Administration and Finance
Honorable Mukabaramba is the Vice President of the Senate in charge of Administration and Finance, a position she has held since September 26, 2024. She also held the same role from 2019 to 2024. Previously, she served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government in charge of Community Development and Social Affairs (2011-2019).
Honorable Mukabaramba was a Senator in Rwanda’s 1st legislature (2003-2011) and a Member of the Social Committee for 4 years and a member of the Political Committee for 4 years, she was a Member of the National Assembly of Transition, President of the Social Commission, Member of the RPRPD (Rwandan Parliamentary Network for Population and Development), Member of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians (FFRP), Commissioner of the National Commission of Fight against AIDS (CNLS) from (1999-2003). Prior to her political career, she worked as a pediatric physician in various hospitals in Rwanda (1993-1999). She holds a doctorate in pediatrics.