Meet Bonnke
Bonnke Rugira Sekarore was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that for most of this century has been torn by war, genocide, and rampant violence. After enduring persecution in the DRC, Bonnke’s family made the difficult decision to leave the farming village they called home for all of Bonnke’s life to seek refuge in neighboring Burundi. Sadly, the violence pursued them there. On the night of August 13, 2004, the Gatuma Refugee Camp, where Bonnke’s family had sought refuge, was attacked by the same elements who had forced them to leave their country of birth. In just two hours, one hundred sixty-six people, including Bonnke’s aunt, were savagely murdered and one hundred sixteen people were critically injured. This event would change Bonnke’s life forever.
For the next three years, the family’s home was a tent in the Mwaro refugee camp (also in Burundi). With the help of the United Nations in 2008 the family immigrated to the U.S. and settled on the Northside of Syracuse – a neighborhood with a long tradition of welcoming newcomers.
Thousands of miles from home, where people were speaking an unfamiliar language and in an urban setting unlike anything he had been used to, Bonnke knew he was fortunate. He had arrived in America! Bonnke was blessed to be surrounded by a loving family and to be a part of a caring community who were there to help him not only to survive, but to thrive in his new environment.
Bonnke learned English, became an American citizen, and graduated as valedictorian of the Fowler High School Class of 2016. He studied engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, returning home to the Northside in between semesters. In 2020 Bonnke earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Management Engineering.
In 2023 Bonnke founded Refugees and American Brotherhood, a non-profit organization focused on supporting Northside youth. As Bonnke mentors the youngsters, he encourages them to believe in themselves, take responsibility for their lives, and to be contributing members of society. That same year, Bonnke joined the Washington Square Neighborhood Task force. He now serves as a facilitator, guiding the conversation and helping to discover new ways to find solutions to old problems.
Bonnke is a man who believes in loyalty and commitment. He has been employed by Wegmans since 2015 when he was in high school. After College, Bonnke worked in Wegmans’ Supply Chain Department and now works as an Operations Specialist at the company’s Syracuse Divisional Office in Clay.
Earlier this year, County Executive Ryan McMahon appointed Bonnke to the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Board of Directors. Bonnke also currently serves as secretary for Destiny African Church.
Issues
Safety First
If you don’t feel safe, not much else matters. Unfortunately, the last several years have seen a decline in the quality of life on the Northside. From packages being stolen off our porches to cars being stolen from right in front of our homes, it seems like the troublemakers are getting more and more aggressive. Abandon houses attract squatters. Prostitution and drugs are everyday sights on Butternut and Wolf Streets – and it’s starting to creep down the smaller streets as well. None of this acceptable.
As a refugee who escaped genocide in the Congo, Bonnke never takes safety for granted. Having been a member of the Washington Square Neighborhood Task Force for two years now, Bonnke is already partnering with local law enforcement agencies. He understands the vital importance of the work police and other first responders do every day and will continue working to nurture goodwill and collaboration between these agencies and the Northside residents they serve.
As our county legislator, Bonnke will be the true Northside voice in county government. He will make sure our safety and quality of life issues are not only heard, but addressed. While it will not happen overnight, Bonnke will work tirelessly to make Northside neighborhoods safer than they have ever been.
Opportunity for All
The Northside welcomed Bonnke 17 years ago when he was a child. Earning his American citizenship empowered him with a freedom he could only dream of in the Congo. While freedom and opportunity go hand in hand, they are two different things and it takes work to work to achieve both of them.
The more time Bonnke spends mentoring youth with Refugees and American Brotherhood, the more he sees not only the potential of Northsiders, but also their drive to succeed. Bonnke will support workforce development and educational partnerships that help ensure Northside residents are prepared for good paying jobs like the ones that will soon be coming with the Micron project just up the road in Clay.
We also need to grow the housing stock in our community. Bonnke will support initiatives like the 162-unit plan Home Leasing is developing for the former Regina Maria Campus. That plan includes some much needed senior housing and units that are accessible to people with disabilities. Bonnke will also encourage programs that make it easier for Northsiders to own their own homes.
Legislator Accessibility
When Bonnke says he wants to be your true Northside voice, he means it. If you want to speak for people, you should have a solid understanding of what is important to them.
In addition to attending neighborhood meetings across the Northside for the past two years, Bonnke has been knocking on doors for several months finding out what is on the minds of our neighbors. Many residents do not know who their current legislator is. That all changes when we elect Bonnke Sekarore. As an active member of our community, Bonnke listens to the concerns of residents and will continue to show up for us. Bonnke is here for you today. He will be here for you tomorrow.
There are numerous county program and resources that are available to residents that people may not be aware of. Many of these are are administered by the county. Bonnke is here to help. And if a program is run by another level of government, Bonnke will help you find the right person who can help you.
Newsroom
Congolese refugee and community leader Bonnke Sekarore announces bid for Onondaga County Legislature
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Endorsements
✅ Ryan McMahon
Onondaga County Executive
✅ Tim Burtis
Chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature
✅ Nick Pirro
Lifelong Northsider and former Onondaga County Executive
Privacy
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We have organizational and technical processes and procedures in place to protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information.
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Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information.
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The easiest way to exercise your rights is by contacting us at bonnkeforlegislator@gmail.com. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on the website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated, so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.
If you would like to access, correct, amend, or delete any personal information we have about you, you are invited to contact us at bonnkeforlegislator@gmail.com.
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By entering your phone number and selecting to opt in, you consent to join a recurring SMS/MMS text messaging program that will provide alerts, donation requests, updates, and other important information. By participating, you agree to the terms & privacy policy for auto-dialed messages from client to the phone number you provide. Message frequency may vary. No consent is required to buy. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help or STOP to opt-out at any time. SMS information is not rented, sold, or shared
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