Burundi’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has announced May 13, 2025, as the official start date for electoral campaigns ahead of the country’s legislative elections, with the campaign period set to end on June 2. The announcement was made on Tuesday by CENI chairman Prosper Ntahorwamiye, who also said that President Evariste Ndayishimiye is expected to formally sign the decree launching the campaign period on June 9.
According to Ntahorwamiye, over six million citizens have registered to vote in the 2025 elections.
“There are six million and thirteen thousand people who were registered to participate in the elections,” said Ntahorwamiye. “These are the official figures for the whole nation. Although the numbers are national, they are distributed across provinces and communes. The actual turnout will be known on election day.”
Under the 2025 electoral calendar, legislative and municipal council elections are scheduled for June 25, 2025. Senatorial elections will follow on July 23, with senators elected by municipal council members. Local leadership elections are set for August 25 in five newly reorganized constituencies.
To ensure smooth and inclusive voting, the national electoral commission has established 14,103 polling stations across the country, along with 53 external polling constituencies. These include Burundian embassies and locations where Burundian troops are deployed on peacekeeping missions.
The announcement was made during a national training session organized by CENI for its provincial (CEPI) and communal (CECI) branches. The meeting aimed to prepare electoral officials to manage polling operations effectively and ensure that election results are accurately transmitted to the Constitutional Court, which is tasked with proclaiming the final results.
“We wanted to train them together so they would have a unified understanding of what we are teaching,” Ntahorwamiye said. “The goal is for them to then train those who will be at polling stations, so that the elections go smoothly and without complaints or flaws.”
He emphasized the need for neutrality and legal compliance among electoral officials, likening elections to a national court case.
“When someone has a case that concerns the whole country, it must be handled with care,” he added.
As preparations intensify, opposition leaders are voicing concern over the impact of Burundi’s ongoing fuel crisis on political campaigning. Anicet Niyonkuru, chairman of the opposition party CDP, warned that the shortage is severely hampering parties’ ability to reach voters.
“Getting fuel is a major struggle. How are we supposed to reach the places where we hold our meetings?” he said, criticizing the government’s lack of support.
Niyonkuru revealed that opposition parties had formally requested access to a dedicated fuel station to help facilitate campaign logistics—a request that has so far gone unanswered. He cautioned that without urgent intervention, the shortage could restrict fair political competition, particularly for smaller or lesser-known parties.
“In the end, people will choose the candidates they already know. That’s not real competition,” he said.
Interior Minister Martin Niteretse has since assured political actors that the government is working with SOPEBU, the national fuel distributor, to manage supply during the electoral period. Meanwhile, CENI president Prosper Ntahorwamiye said that a 15,000-liter fuel reserve has been allocated to support electoral operations.
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