The University of Kigali (UoK) has received full accreditation from the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR) to offer Professional Accountancy Training in Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and Certified Accounting Technician (CAT).

According to a statement from the university, the accreditation was issued on April 6.

In addition, University of Kigali - Musanze campus has also been certified as an ICPAR exams centre, according to the statement.

Previously all branches of the institutions of the university had been operating under provisional license.

Speaking to The New Times about the accreditation, Charles Omanyo, the Director School of Professional and Executive Programmes at the university said it will increase students’ confidence in the institution’s accounting programmes.

"The advantage of the accreditation is that the students will have confidence that they are dealing with an approved institution,” he said.

"It validates the programme that we are offering. It certifies us to be competent enough. For an institution to get accreditation, it means that the regulators have looked at its lecturers and found them competent enough, with relevant international experience required. In addition, it also implies that the facilities are okay, and the pass rate in exams is okay,” he added.

He said it will assist the university to get more students, including those from the corporate world,

"We will be in position to get more students, even those from the corporate world. When most corporate companies sponsor students, they want them to go to an approved institution.”

UoK through its School of Professional and Executive Programs (SPEP) offers professional courses like CPAR, CPAK, CAT, ACCA, FIAs, IPSAS, CIA, CPP and CIFA.

Omanya noted that with the accreditation, the university will contribute to the country’s efforts to produce more professionally qualified accountants, and fill the gap in the industry,

"As per last year, there was a shortage of about 5,000 professionally qualified accountants in the public sector alone. If it is like this in the public sector, how about the private sector which has more employees?” he wondered, adding that there is still a huge gap.

"UoK will be happy to assist in bridging this deficit by training more accountants. We hope to produce more professionally qualified accountants that will participate in development of the economy. We also want to contribute in making more citizens of Rwanda financially literate,” he added.