Over six millions voters across the country today passed the long-awaited presidential elections that they said was free, fair and important for their patriotism spirit, thanks to the efforts by The National Electoral Commission for good organization (NEC).
Kirehe is one of the districts that we visited to follow the process and most of electoral sites we have reached passed fair elections as voters have noted.
Leonidas Ndayahoze, a 55-year old from Rurama Village, Nyabikokora cell, Kirehe sector in Kirehe district has reached at Groupe Scolaire Nyakarambi electoral site at 6:00am and has already voted at 7:35.
He said that it was the never-happening election that he experienced the first time as it was done with respect of freedom and fair democracy of voters due to his own observation when voting.
“The election was good as for me, I passed through safe, free and well organized election process where I was able to find all the guidance from registration of Identity card and Voting card to the person who gave me the voting paper until I entered the secret voting room alone and come back to deposit the voting paper in the box before getting the final nail-ink signature and voting stamp on my card. So, everything was good,” said Ndayahoze.
“No one was involved in helping me chose the one I voted, which is different from the past government that could push you to vote on their choice, I voted for a leader who will play an important role in pushing ahead the development of our country, who will maintain and sustain peace and security and am sure that my choice was not wrong” he added.
All the voters from Nyakarambi site mounting to 4287 have finished the action just before 2:00 pm and nobody was entering in any of the fifteen voting rooms there after that time.
According to Kirehe District Mayor Gerald Muzungu who was around the site while travelling as a citizen, he confirmed that election was perfect as he has already voted in early morning.
“I have voted, people have reached the sites on time and in a mass since 5:00am. They were happy, interested and prepared as if it was a wedding ceremony as they used to say,”
The specialty of these elections was characterized by good organization and decoration of the sites colored in the country’s flag and shining stars as we have observed the majority of election sites.
No person was carrying or wearing any advertising color of political party and no map was written using any of the signs of political parties or candidates.
According to Alexis Ntamunoza, NEC employee at Nyakarambi election site, voters were waiting for provisional results at 12:00 pm as the majority of them had finished the action then.
“At 11: am I was counting about 97.3 percent of people who finished to vote. 11 out of 15 villages of the cell had finished before that time and returned at their works, the other four villages are still coming as they host many employees who come gradually. Voters attended the action successfully as they reached the site before 7:00am ready to vote on time. At 9:00, we had a big movement and a mass of voters on lines. One village ‘Rugenge finished at 8:55,” said Ntamunoza.
One problem occurred as Ntamunoza said was that some people without identity cards and voting cards were not allowed to vote following NEC orders but were given opportunity very soon to vote on the extra list.
The secret of success was that citizens were sensitized about fair elections through local administrative meetings and 15 household-groups mobilization called (AMASIBO) by group leaders in each village.
The work was also perfect at another site of Kiyanzi primary school in Nyamugari sector as voters said.
Jean Marie Vianney Habakurama and his wife who voted from this site said that everything was good and well organized.
“We came prepared since a long time ago, we found no obstacle when voting as freedom to vote was granted,” said Habakurama.
About 90 percent voters had finished at 10:00 am according to Floride Uwimana, NEC employee at Kiyanzi site.
The action was also good in Gatore sector that hosted two sites; Nyamiryango sites with 2665 voters and Muganza with 2678 voters.
According to Oscar Uyisabye, NEC employee in charge of Elections in Kirehe district, election activity was done successfully in all the sixty-four sites in the district as voters were at the site around 6:00am.
He said that voters were ready at the sites before 7:00am and stared on time set by NEC.
“Voters finished the work before we closed at 3:00 pm. The majority of voters are around 98 percent in the whole district. A big movements and number of voters on lines appeared on sites before 11:00 am, they reduced gradually as between 11 and 12 pm people were not many.
Uyisabye re-affirmed that the specialty of this year-presidential election was good decoration of voting rooms done by election volunteers without NEC budget.
“This means that our elections must be organized as a wedding ceremony where voters feel the ambiance and involvement in the action,” Uyisabye noted.
The total number of expected voters in the district was mounting to 224,481 excluding voters on the extra list. Youth were counted to 97 percent.
Hakizimana Elias
One of well-decorated voting rooms in Kirehe district (Photo/Elias H.)
