Burundi : governors appointed, opposition absent, CNDD-FDD reigns supreme

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, July 3, 2025 – On Thursday, July 3, 2025, the Burundian Senate unanimously approved the appointment of five new governors, all members of the ruling CNDD-FDD party. In the context of new administrative boundaries, which reduce the number of provinces from 18 to 5, this decision underscores the CNDD-FDD’s near-total control over Burundi’s political landscape, while the opposition remains completely marginalized.

The Burundian Senate approved on Thursday, during an extraordinary session held in Gitega, the country’s political capital, the appointment of five new provincial governors. These appointments, proposed by the Minister of the Interior, Public Security, and Community Development, Martin Niteretse, are part of the implementation of Burundi’s new administrative division.

The country, which has just reduced its number of provinces from 18 to 5, is also reorganizing its administrative structures: the number of districts has been reduced from 119 to 42, while the number of zones has increased from 339 to 447, and the number of villages has increased from 2,910 to 3,037.

The five new governors approved by the Senate :

1. Ms. Denise Ndaruhekere, Hutu, Governor of Buhumuza Province (eastern part of the country). A native of Masaka village in Butihinda district (formerly Muyinga Province), she was previously Chief of Staff to the Governor of Muyinga. She is the only woman on the list, representing 20% ​​of the total.
2. Major General Aloys Ndayikengurukiye, Hutu, Governor of Bujumbura Province (Northwest). Originally from the district of Mubimbi, he was previously the Managing Director of SOSUMO (Moso Sugar Company), the country’s only state-owned sugar company.
3. Parfait Mboninyibuka, Tutsi, Governor of Burunga Province (Southeast). A former member of parliament, he is a native of the Mpinga-Kayove district in Rutana. He is the only Tutsi among the five governors, representing a 20% ethnic representation.
4. Police Brigadier General Victor Segasago, Hutu, Governor of Butanyerera Province (Northeast). Previously, he was Governor of Kirundo Province.
5. Liboire Bigirimana, Hutu, Governor of Gitega Province (Central). Originally from the Kayokwe district in Mwaro, he was previously in charge of school canteens and spokesperson for the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research.

Total domination by the CNDD-FDD

All five new governors are members of the CNDD-FDD, the former Hutu rebel group in power since 2005 following the Arusha Peace Agreement of August 2000. The ruling party, which largely won the June 2025 district and legislative elections, thus consolidates its control over all the new provinces.

The Senate, meeting in Gitega, unanimously approved these appointments, without any opposition.

With this new division, the CNDD-FDD further extends its political control over the small east African nation.