Mount Kenya University Rwanda on Friday graduated 1,480 students with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Kigali, marking the institution’s final graduation under that name as it completes its transition to Mount Kigali University.

Of the 1,480 graduates, 1,248 earned bachelor’s degrees, 225 completed master’s programmes and seven received postgraduate qualifications.

ALSO READ: Mount Kenya University Rwanda changes name to Mount Kigali University

The 29th graduation ceremony, held on August 7, celebrated the Class of 2026 and marked a new chapter for Mount Kigali University, which has operated as an independently accredited institution in Rwanda since 2023.

Addressing the graduates, Chancellor Prof. Egara Kabaji described the Class of 2026 as a generation linking the institution’s past with its future.

"This 29th Graduation Ceremony carries special historical significance. You, the Class of 2026, are the final cohort graduating under the shared academic journey connecting Mount Kigali University with Mount Kenya University," he said.

"You are, in every sense, a bridge generation," he added.

Drawing from the graduation theme, "Youth as Architects of Social Change, Ethical Governance and Inclusivity," Kabaji challenged the graduates to become builders of better societies rather than passive observers.

"An architect does not simply accept the world as it is. An architect studies the foundation, understands the pressures a structure must withstand, imagines what is possible, and builds for the future," he said.

He urged them to uphold integrity throughout their professional lives.

"Competence may earn you responsibility, but character determines how responsibly you exercise it," he said, adding that graduates should let integrity guide their decisions "even when no one is watching."

Kabaji also called for inclusive leadership.

"Build bridges rather than barriers. Create opportunities rather than protect privilege. True leadership is not simply securing your own seat at the table; it is helping create space for others to contribute meaningfully," he said.

Vice Chancellor Dr. Martin Kimemia Gathiru said the ceremony marked the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another for the institution.

"You are the final cohort graduating as part of our shared academic journey with Mount Kenya University at Mount Kigali University," he said.

"As Mount Kigali University moves forward under its own accreditation in Rwanda, your graduation closes an important chapter while opening another, both for you and for our university as it strengthens its independent identity and contribution to Rwanda, the region and beyond," he said.

Combine competence with ethical responsibility

Kimemia said the graduates had overcome challenges to reach the milestone.

"Behind every gown today is a story of sacrifice, discipline, resilience, and determination," he said.

He urged them to combine professional competence with ethical responsibility.

"The world does not simply need more qualified people; it needs trustworthy professionals who combine innovation with integrity, ambition with humility and excellence with compassion," he said.

He also challenged them to define success by the impact they make.

"Do not measure success only by the positions you attain, the titles you acquire or the income you earn. Measure it also by the problems you solve, the opportunities you create, the institutions you strengthen and the lives you positively influence," he said.

Speaking during the graduation, Mount Kigali University&039;s Governing Body Chairman, Dr Innocent Mugisha, challenged the graduates to use the knowledge and skills they had acquired to transform the country, describing them as the architects of tomorrow.

He urged them to remain committed to creating positive change in society, stressing that, beyond the degrees they had earned, they would ultimately be remembered for the impact they made in their communities.

"Your education equips you with knowledge, but it also gives you the responsibility to lead with integrity, to innovate with courage, but above all, with humility," he told the graduates.

Top graduate urges Class of 2026 to turn knowledge into impact

Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, top graduate Sosthene Iradukunda described the occasion as a celebration of resilience.

"Today is more than the end of our studies, it is the celebration of our resilience," he said.

He said the graduates were leaving with more than academic qualifications.

"We leave with knowledge, confidence, resilience, lifelong friendships, and the responsibility to make a positive difference wherever life takes us," he said.

Iradukunda urged his fellow graduates to embrace the ceremony’s theme and become solution providers.

"Let us become graduates who create opportunities instead of waiting for them. Let us solve problems instead of simply pointing them out. Let us build bridges instead of barriers," he said.

"People may not remember the grades we earned. But they will remember the lives we touched. They will remember the problems we solved. They will remember the integrity with which we led," he added.

A university of impact

Delivering the alumni address, James Mugume, Founder and Executive Director of Health Alert Organization, hailed the university for producing graduates who contribute to society and encouraged them to put their education into service.

"Education becomes powerful when knowledge is transformed into service," he said.

Reflecting on his own journey, Mugume credited the university with shaping his career.

"Mount Kigali University gave me more than academic qualifications; it gave me a foundation, a way of thinking and a commitment to improving human lives," he said.

The graduation closes the Mount Kenya University chapter in Rwanda, with Mount Kigali University continuing under its own accreditation and identity.