At around noon on Monday, October 24, The New Times team arrived at Rwanda Polytechnic’s Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) premises based in Kicukuro, along the Kigali-Bugesera highway. The visit followed the recent temporary closure of the institute on October 23 by the Ministry of Education, amid investigations of theft and misappropriation of public resources. At the time of arrival, there were limited movements around campus; security on the other hand was tight, while few students were seen leaving the premises with their belongings. We then approached the gate to seek clearance from the security personnel to access the facility but the officers firmly rejected the request. They said that the only people being allowed in were students who were coming to collect their stuff. The campus is a crime scene, we were told. Luckily, we were able to have a chat with some students outside the campus, though most of them didn’t fully understand what was going on. They nonetheless shared their concerns though most said they weren’t worried about the interruption with their studies, since some of them were finalising their academic year. According to the education ministry, the school will be closed for at least two weeks. One of the students, Liliane Iradukunda, said that he believes “the closure will not severely affect our studies because most of us are finalising the academic year and others are doing internships.” Marius Tuyishime, another student, also said that the biggest worry is for those in lower classes. “We are worried for our little sisters and brothers in high (technical) school who were still at the beginning of the academic year.” Speaking to The New Times, Claudette Irere, Minister of State for ICT and TVET allayed fears over the interruption of school programmes that has happened as a result of the temporary closure. She pointed out that once the investigation is concluded, they will ensure that students catch up with the period lost during the two weeks. “When the school reopens, we will engage educators and see how best we can catch up either by increasing hours, studying during weekends or holidays,” she explained. While commenting on the investigation period, Irere said that two weeks are enough for now, but in case investigators need an extension, they will communicate and advise accordingly. Meanwhile, several employees of IPRC Kigali were arrested amid ongoing investigation into the alleged theft and misappropriation of public funds. Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) confirmed the arrest of Diogene Mulindahabi, the Principal at IPRC-Kigali, and several other employees of the institution. The Spokesperson of RIB, Thierry Murangira said that some of the stolen equipment had been found and returned to the school. Neither RIB, nor the education ministry has revealed the type of equipment stolen or their value. Rwanda Polytechnic Meanwhile, the same premises hosts the headquarters of Rwanda Polytechnic (RP), the institution that manages and coordinates all IPRC's in the country. The decision to close the campus means that RP offices are also not accessible by staff. However, speaking to The New Times, a source from the institution said that for now, they are working remotely and work was going on normally, despite their offices being sealed off.
