KIGALI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Members of Rwanda's new Senate, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, on Thursday were sworn in following recently concluded elections.
During a ceremony presided over by Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the parliament's building in Kigali, the country's capital, the new Senate elected its president and two deputies.
Francois Xavier Kalinda was reelected as the Senate president after garnering 25 out of 26 votes cast. He first assumed the position in January 2023.
Senator Alvera Mukabaramba was elected as vice president in charge of finance and administration, while Soline Nyirahabimana was voted as vice president in charge of legislature and government oversight. Mukabaramba held the same position in the previous Senate.
The Rwandan Senate is composed of 26 seats, including 14 lawmakers elected by electoral colleges from Kigali, provinces, and higher learning institutions, eight appointed by the president, and four from the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations. Public and private universities each have one seat in the Senate. ■