On March 1, 2023, University of Kigali’s Board of Directors appointed Professor David Karungu Wang’ombe as Vice- Chancellor, while Prof. Felix Maringe was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor - Academic on October 1, 2022.

Both are not new in the academic field since they have been working with various highly-esteemed academic institutions in the region, South Africa and the UK, which sums up their readiness for the job awaiting them at UoK.

Few days ahead of the 7th graduation ceremony due to take place at the Intare Conference Arena on 3rd March 2023, both members of the university’s management team spoke to IGIHE about their prospects.

For Prof. Wang’ombe, joining University of Kigali’s leadership was a dream fulfilled in his quest to take African education to the next level.

“I have had a chance to see the plans and vision of the University of Kigali, and that motivated me to consider the possibilities of working with this university. So, I was delighted when the Board of Directors appointed me as vice chancellor, and shared in my personal vision of developing the capacity of the youth attending the university,” he said.

In his new journey, Prof Wang’ombe will be focusing on what should be four pillars of modern university namely; excellence in teaching and learning, research by building new knowledge, community engagement and making a difference in the lives of people.

“Achieving that requires excellence in our organizations, excellence in our governance and high quality procedures that enable us to achieve those goals”, he added.

Once those foundations are laid, Prof. Wang’ombe believes that it will market the university in the international arena.

“It is my hope that we are able to carry sufficient international accreditation for all the pillars whether separately or together, so that we are recognized both internally and externally, as an institution that is committed to making a difference in the lives of people,” Prof. Wang’ombe said.

This will be an addition to existing programs that are already being implemented in University of Kigali, including allocating full scholarships to vulnerable students whose talents are remarkable.

“At this stage, I invite other institutions that would want to support students that are brilliant but cannot afford university education to come and join us in making this education available,” he appealed.

More than 1800 students are ready to graduate

On 3rd March 2023, the university will put more than 1,800 graduates on global markets in various fields such as Business Management, Economics, Education, Law, Computing and Information Technology, etc.

Prof. Maringe lauded the graduands, saying that they have been equipped with skills that are relevant to the global market.

“As our motto states, we prepare "labour for the future" and one of the things that characterizes our University is that all our students have to work hard to earn their grades, diplomas and degrees. That is a very important part of our training for the students and it has been held by employers as a great achievement. It is one of the things that we are very proud about,” he said.

Prof. Wangombe added that the graduands have been prepared for the world that is ahead of them.

“We have prepared these students to face the world that is ahead of them. They have not only passed the exams, but also have gone through the process of interaction, counseling, guiding them to know what life is all about, not just about the engagement in money-making exercises but being good citizens who can make a difference in the lives of people” he said.

The University of Kigali is one of the top-five universities in Rwanda. It is appreciated for its efforts in scaling up education, especially through research.

Having started operations in 2013, the university currently has two campuses; one in Kigali and the other in Musanze.

The University of Kigali is set to hold the 7th graduation ceremony.

UoK Vice Chancellor, Prof David Karungu Wangombe.

Prof. Felix Maringe was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor - Academic towards the end of last year.