The state minister in the Ministry of Education, Claudette Irere, has officially launched the distribution of laptops to government-sponsored students at the University of Rwanda on Tuesday, June 10, urging them to use the devices strictly for academic purposes.
Last year, out of 18,592 laptops distributed, over 1,000 were reportedly sold by students. In response, the government revised the student contract to include strict penalties for selling the laptops, such as repaying the full cost with interest, losing tuition and bursary support from the Development Bank of Rwanda, and being barred from graduation if the debt is unpaid.
“These laptops are loans, not donations. Loans must be repaid,” Minister Irere said. “As the government, we will follow up to ensure they are being used for their intended purpose. Some students sold them just a week after receiving them. These devices are meant to support your studies, not to sell them.”
Students pledged to use the laptops responsibly. “It’s a shame that some of our colleagues last year sold laptops meant for studying,” said Ben Kwizera, a first-year economics student. “We will not do the same.”
Gad Emile, a first-year social work student, added, “It’s encouraging that these laptops support systems for students with disabilities. The new models can accommodate the necessary software, and this will help us in our studies.”
Dr. Raymond Ndikumana, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration, emphasised their academic value: “These laptops are educational tools. Beyond attending lectures, students can now conduct their research using the internet. This aligns with our student-centred learning approach, where the teacher acts as a facilitator, not expected to teach students everything.”
He added, “We provided laptops according to the nature of the students’ courses. For example, students in architecture and computer engineering received high-performance machines, while others received standard models.”
Over 6,000 laptops will be distributed across the University of Rwanda, including 2,984 on the Huye campus, which houses three colleges. Models include Intel Core i3, i5, and i7.
Athanase Munyarugendo / The Kaminuza Star