UR students using laptops in their studies
The University of Rwanda (UR) has announced plan to resume distribution of student’s laptops late October this year.
October schedules follows student’s recurrent inquiry on social media platforms about solving pending issues, especially halt of laptop distribution that has reportedly compromised learning at the university for over three years.
“The UR administration, HEC Rwanda, BRD bank, the Ministry of education and the supplier have confirmed the delivery timeline, it will not change,” Ignatius R. Kabagambe, Head of Corporate Communications and Spokesperson of UR said without revealing the name of the supplier.
Despite the laptop supplier program starting in 2017, this distribution was halted in 2020 after it was criticized about the reliability of these equipment. The UR management has been reportedly returning faulty computers and speaking with suppliers, asking them to raise the quality.
Launched by Intel Corporation, MTN, the Bank of Kigali, Africa Smart Investments-Distributions (ASI-D), South American technology company Positivo BGH, and Microsoft, the scheme was partnered by the government through the ministry of education. It provided laptop computers to state-sponsored students through a loan programme. They were repayable after graduation.
In 2018, Paula Ingabire, minister of ICT and Innovation, said the computers would assist students at the University of Rwanda complete their studies flawlessly as she handed them out to students.
“As we continue this exercise today, we want to underline that we are providing better versions and that we will continue to do so as a regular practice,” she told the media.
About 14,000 laptops will reportedly be distributed.
Meanwhile, the UR graduation which was delayed for ten months is also set to take place in October.
