The National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Monday handed Eastern Province a trophy for voting to the level of 99.85 percent of all the registered voters.
Southern – 99.60%; Western – 97.96%; Kigali – 98.39; and Northern Province – 97.03%, followed respectively.
President Kagame has his country home in Gatsibo district – where he made the most powerful speech during the campaigns, when he said critics can kill themselves if they are not happy having him around. He also warned those he accused of planning armed rebellion – referring to exiled Col Patrick Karegeya.
The Liberal Party candidate, Senator Prosper Higiro, who got about 1.5 percent of the votes, also comes from Kirehe district, in the same province. Higiro actually got the biggest number of people voting for him in Kirehe (2.68%).
However, analyzing the results from NEC, in the Northern Province where President Kagame got perhaps the largest and most enthusiastic crowds, turn-out came last.
Interestingly, Gicumbi district – where President Kagame told critics to “go hang” after seeing the massive crowd, it had the biggest number of people who did not vote, as well as invalid votes. Figures from NEC show some 6,119 ballots were found to be invalid.
Gicumbi had the most invalid votes, but gave incumbent Kagame the most enthusiastic support duing campaigns (Photo: Margaret Cappa)
Kirehe district gave incumbent Kagame the highest votes at 95.69% of the all the voters in the area – followed by drought stricken Bugerera district.
In general, the Eastern province also gave President Kagame the highest mandate – at 93.99 percent, followed closely by the North. The western province gave him the least votes.
The second candidate, PSD’s Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo scooped the most votes in Rusizi district (west) with 7.84%. The Western Province also gave him more votes than any other – at 6.40 percent of ballots cast.
Senator Dr Mukabaramba Alivera got less than 1 percent in all the districts except Nyarugenge (Kigali), Burera and Gicumbi – both in the north, which is where she actually hails from.
The president-elect Paul Kagame will be sworn in on September 06.