The Dutch driver, who races for Red Bull Racing, made the remarks when asked about political debates and human rights allegations raised by critics of the decision to bring Formula 1 to Rwanda.
'You could say all that about a lot of countries,' said the Red Bull driver.
He indicated that he did not want to get deeply involved in the political debate surrounding the project, preferring to focus on the sporting aspects of Formula 1.
His comments came after Helmut Marko, a senior Red Bull figure, also expressed support for plans to bring Formula 1 to Rwanda.
Marko argued that the Formula 1 World Championship should reach all parts of the world and that critics of Rwanda should also consider the circumstances in other countries that regularly host races.
Asked whether he expected to still be competing in Formula 1 when the Rwandan Grand Prix begins in the early 2030s, Verstappen said it would depend on the circumstances at the time.
'We'll see then. I've been there before, so yeah, fine,' he said.
Verstappen visited Rwanda in December 2024 to take part in activities promoting young talent in motorsport in Kigali.
The visit was part of the community service penalty imposed on him by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's governing body.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has also supported efforts to bring Formula 1 back to Africa.
Rwanda is expected to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix from the early 2030s under the 10-year agreement announced on Tuesday. The race will mark Formula 1's return to Africa after more than three decades. The championship last held an African race at the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.
The proposed circuit will be built in Bugesera District, around 40 kilometres south of Kigali and near the new Kigali International Airport. It is being designed to meet FIA Grade 1 requirements for Formula 1 racing.
Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 world champion, has defended Rwanda against criticism over plans to host a Formula 1 race.
More than three decades later, Rutonesha, who now lives in Ohio, is revisiting that period through his account of the arrests, fear and difficult prison conditions that followed the outbreak of war in Rwanda in October 1990.
In an interview with IGIHE about his book, Rutonesha recounts how his arrest disrupted his plans, describes his experiences at Kigali Central Prison, commonly known as 1930, and explains how he eventually left Rwanda to rebuild his life abroad.
His account in the book focuses on a period when people suspected of supporting or collaborating with the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) faced arrest. Those accused of being accomplices were commonly referred to as ibyitso, a Kinyarwanda term used at the time.
Arrested while preparing to leave Rwanda
Rutonesha was working at the Ministry of Labour when intelligence agents arrested him at around 10 a.m. on October 23, 1990, according to his account.
He had already secured admission to Ohio State University and obtained a US visa in July that year. His plans to pursue further studies, however, were interrupted by his arrest.
He was taken to the Office of the President, where he remained throughout the day, before being transferred that evening to the gendarmerie brigade in Muhima, Kigali. He spent the night there.
The following day, October 24, he was transferred to Kigali Central Prison, where he remained until his release on April 8, 1991.
Looking back on the weeks surrounding his arrest, Rutonesha describes an atmosphere in which uncertainty and fear had become part of everyday life.
In Life Inside the Walls of Hell, he writes: 'The events I experienced between October 1 and October 23 were a real living hell.'
The period followed the outbreak of war on October 1, 1990, when the RPF launched an offensive against the government of President Juvénal Habyarimana.
Rutonesha recalls the presence of soldiers, police officers and intelligence agents, as well as arrests carried out in workplaces and neighbourhoods. The possibility of being detained, he writes, created persistent anxiety among those who feared being accused of supporting the RPF.
'It was an endless mental torture,' he writes, describing the psychological strain of living under those circumstances.
Life inside Kigali Central Prison
Rutonesha's account of his time at 1930 prison describes the hardships detainees faced during their confinement.
He recounts limited food supplies, rudimentary sleeping arrangements and the physical and psychological toll of detention. He also reflects on how prisoners interacted, coped with their circumstances and relied on one another to endure daily life.
Beyond documenting his personal experience, the book seeks to preserve the stories of other detainees who lived through the same period.
His testimony presents detention as an experience that extended beyond the loss of freedom, disrupting personal plans, education and family life while leaving lasting consequences.
For Rutonesha, documenting these experiences is also a way of drawing attention to a period he believes deserves greater consideration in accounts of Rwanda's history.
He explains his motivation in the book's opening pages: 'I decided to write this book because I wanted to document one of the darkest chapters in Rwanda's history.'
His account places the arrests and persecution he describes within the wider political climate that followed the outbreak of war in 1990. He also considers these events in relation to the developments that preceded the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
From detention to a new life in the United States
Rutonesha was released on April 8, 1991, at around 5 p.m., bringing his nearly six-month detention to an end.
His freedom did not immediately restore the life he had planned before his arrest. About a month later, on May 10, 1991, he left Rwanda for Nairobi, Kenya, where he stayed with his sister, Chantal, and her family.
On September 8, 1991, he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before travelling to Columbus, Ohio.
He subsequently pursued studies in sociology, business administration and law, building a life in the United States after the upheaval he recounts in his book.
Now married and the father of two adult children, Rutonesha continues to live in Ohio.
His journey from detention in Kigali to a new life in the United States forms an important part of his account, illustrating how the events of 1990 and 1991 altered the course of his personal and academic ambitions.
Preserving a difficult chapter of history
For Rutonesha, documenting his experience is a way of preserving the memories of those who were arrested and detained during a turbulent period in Rwanda's history.
Through Life Inside the Walls of Hell, he hopes to encourage other witnesses to share their experiences and ensure that the events they lived through are not forgotten.
Charles Rutonesha's account in the book focuses on a period when people suspected of supporting or collaborating with the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) faced arrest.For Rutonesha, documenting his experience is a way of preserving the memories of those who were arrested and detained during a turbulent period in Rwanda's history.
Bazivamo witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) and the Changsha Museum, as well as another between Rwanda Polytechnic and the Changsha Vocational and Technical College.
The agreements are expected to strengthen institutional cooperation in the two countries, particularly in cultural heritage and technical and vocational education.
During the visit, Bazivamo also held discussions with the leadership of China's Hunan Province on expanding bilateral cooperation, including partnerships between Kigali and Changsha, and between Muhanga District and Loudi City.
The proposed city-to-city partnerships, the ruling party said, will focus on trade, investment, agriculture, technology and education, among other areas.
The engagements build on efforts by Rwanda and China to strengthen cooperation through institutional partnerships and exchanges in different sectors.
On September 21, 2026, Bazivamo and FPR-Inkotanyi Deputy Secretary General Stephen Gasana met a delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC) to discuss ways of deepening cooperation between the two parties.
The delegation was led by Wang Liyong, Director General of the China Center for Contemporary World Studies under the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and included Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Gao Wenqi.
Discussions focused on culture, education, research and people-to-people exchanges, reflecting both parties' interest in expanding collaboration and sharing knowledge and experience.
The MoUs were signed during a visit to China by the Secretary General of FPR-Inkotanyi, Christophe Bazivamo.Bazivamo witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) and the Changsha Museum, as well as another between Rwanda Polytechnic and the Changsha Vocational and Technical College.
A community's request for a school, health centre, better roads, or improved public services reflects its aspirations for a better future. But how can citizens know whether their priorities have been considered in the national budget? Which projects have been selected for funding, and how can communities follow up on the government's commitments?
In Rwanda, the Citizen's Guide to the National Budget seeks to answer these questions by making budget information easier to understand and use. Through collaboration between CLADHO and its partners, the Guide aims to strengthen public understanding of how the national budget works, improve access to budget information, help citizens understand the many ways in which the national budget affects their lives, and promote their meaningful participation in the planning and implementation of budget priorities.
For Dr. Emmanuel Safari, Executive Secretary of CLADHO, the initiative addresses a fundamental challenge: ensuring that citizens can access and understand information on how the government mobilizes and allocates resources to national priorities agreed upon during the planning and budgeting process, while also enabling them to participate meaningfully in the implementation and monitoring of those priorities.
'One of the main reasons we developed this booklet is that the national budget was not always easy for citizens to understand,' Dr. Safari explains. 'Through our collaboration with MINECOFIN, we want to make budget information accessible in languages that Rwandans can easily understand.'
By making much of the budget information available in Kinyarwanda, English, and French, the Guide helps bridge the gap between technical government documents and citizens' everyday experiences, enabling more people to understand and engage with decisions that affect their lives and communities.
Connecting community priorities to public spending.
The national budget is a critical instrument for financing public services, implementing government policies, and advancing national development priorities. However, without accessible and understandable budget information, it can be challenging for citizens to know how their needs and priorities are reflected in budget decisions and to participate meaningfully in the implementation and monitoring of those priorities.
The Citizen's Guide explains how the national budget is prepared, how community priorities and proposals move through different administrative levels, and how projects are considered and selected for funding.
During community meetings, residents may identify and propose priorities such as schools, health facilities, roads, and other infrastructure and public services. These priorities are then forwarded to the sector and district levels, where they are assessed and considered for inclusion in development plans and budgets.
The Guide helps citizens understand this process by providing information on the priorities selected for implementation and the projects completed during the previous fiscal year. This enables citizens to follow up on planned interventions, benefit from completed projects and public services, and contribute to monitoring their continued functionality and sustainability.
Dr. Safari notes that there has been a common perception that the national budget is prepared exclusively by the Ministry of Finance, a view he says he once shared. 'Before this initiative, many Rwandans believed that the national budget was prepared solely by the Ministry of Finance. I also held that view before becoming involved in this work,' he says.
He explains that the national budget, approved annually in June, outlines the Government's priorities, planned projects, and resource allocations for the coming fiscal year, while the Guide also provides information on projects completed during the previous fiscal year. Understanding this information helps citizens see how national development commitments translate into actions within their communities, how public resources are allocated to support their implementation, and how they can follow up on progress.
Strengthening accountability through information
Access to national budget information is essential for meaningful citizen participation and accountability. When citizens understand government priorities, commitments, and resource allocations, they are better equipped to engage with their leaders, follow up on implementation, monitor progress, and ask informed questions about development projects and public services.
For Dr. Safari, one of the Guide's key contributions is enabling citizens to know which of their priorities have been selected for implementation during a particular financial year.
'Of the ten or twenty priorities they may have proposed, they can see which ones were selected and given priority,' he explains.
This information helps communities understand which of their proposals have been incorporated into annual plans and budgets and provides a basis for constructive dialogue with public institutions on their implementation and progress.
The Guide is intended to be more than a document that people read once. Citizens can consult it to identify projects planned for their districts, understand government commitments, follow up on implementation, and engage more meaningfully in decisions affecting the development of their communities.
Dr. Safari emphasizes the importance of reaching as many people as possible, acknowledging the collaboration with MINECOFIN and the support of Norwegian People's Aid, with funding from the Danish Government.
He also challenges the perception that written information is often inaccessible or underutilized in African communities.
'There is a saying that if you want to hide something from an African, you should put it in writing. We want to challenge that perception by bringing written information closer to citizens and showing them how useful it can be,' he says.
His message underscores the importance of ensuring that information produced through such initiatives reaches the people it is intended to serve and becomes a practical tool for enhancing understanding, participation, and accountability.
A citizen's perspective on development opportunities
For residents, the Guide's value lies in connecting national planning and budgeting with local development needs and practical opportunities.
Mukarugomwa Rita, a resident of Gisagara District, believes the Guide provides valuable insights into development projects and ambitions that citizens might otherwise not know about.
'Based on what I have read, I believe this booklet has been well prepared,' she says. 'It contains projects that I had never imagined could be included, as well as ambitious initiatives that reflect the level of development I believe Rwanda can achieve.'
Rita highlights how the Guide enables citizens to see whether their priorities and proposals have been considered and to better understand how their participation contributes to development planning and budgeting.
She also sees the Guide as a useful resource for helping people plan for their economic future. Knowing which development projects are planned can help residents anticipate potential employment, investment, and business opportunities associated with their implementation.
'In this way, the projects being implemented can also create financial opportunities and benefits for citizens,' she says.
Her perspective demonstrates that accessible budget information can support not only transparency and accountability but also informed decision-making and greater citizen participation in local economic development.
The Citizen's Guide to the National Budget represents a collaborative effort to make budget information accessible, understandable, and relevant to Rwandans. Its impact depends on citizens being aware of the resource, accessing and using it, and applying the information to participate meaningfully in development planning, follow up on the implementation of budget priorities, and monitor progress.
For Dr. Emmanuel Safari, Executive Secretary of CLADHO, the initiative addresses a fundamental challenge: ensuring that citizens can access and understand information on how the government mobilizes and allocates resources to national priorities agreed upon during the planning and budgeting process.
The Rwandan side were knocked out by Mozambique's Black Bulls in the second qualifying round, losing 4-2 on aggregate over two legs.
Speaking to Rayon Sports supporters who welcomed the team in Maputo on Saturday, October 24, Murenzi said the club would now focus on the domestic league, where winning the title remains a key target agreed upon by the management, coaching staff and players.
'It is difficult to compete on two fronts. Our players were very focused on these matches because they were important. Our commitment to the coach and his technical team, as well as to the players, is that we must win this season's league title,' he said.
Rayon Sports return to the BK Pro League with ground to make up after several fixtures were postponed due to their participation in continental competition.
After six matchdays in the league, the club have played only twice, drawing against Sunrise FC and losing to Gorilla FC. They have one point and sit at the bottom of the standings.
Rayon Sports are expected to host Mukura VS in their next league fixture before travelling to face Marine FC. They will then visit Sudanese side Al Hilal SC.
The club, which plays in blue and white, last won the Rwandan league title in the 2018/19 season.
Rayon Sports interim president Murenzi Abdallah said he and the coaching staff, led by Haringingo Francis, have set winning this season's league title as their target.Murenzi said the club would now focus on the domestic league, where winning the title remains a key target agreed upon by the management, coaching staff and players.
Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif confirmed that the crash, which involved a tipper truck and a bus carrying 45 passengers, occurred at about 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) in the Kanga area.
Traveling from Nairobi toward Mombasa, the bus reportedly lost control while attempting to overtake a line of vehicles, skidded off course, and collided with the oncoming truck.
'Unfortunately, a total of 22 passengers from both vehicles have been confirmed dead, while six others injured have been admitted to hospital,' Khalif said on the phone.
The official said the violent impact temporarily brought traffic to a standstill along the key transport corridor, drawing emergency responders and onlookers to the site.
According to reports, the bus was carrying passengers returning from a burial ceremony when it collided with the truck.
The corridor has witnessed several fatal accidents in recent weeks, including a multi-vehicle crash about two weeks ago that claimed 17 lives along the same route, heightening concerns over road safety.
The latest tragedy comes as the National Police Service and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) intensify nationwide public awareness campaigns targeting road users ahead of the December festive season.
According to the NTSA, roughly 4,000 Kenyans lose their lives in road accidents each year, despite ongoing safety initiatives led by both government and private-sector stakeholders.
Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif confirmed that the crash, which involved a tipper truck and a bus carrying 45 passengers, occurred at about 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) in the Kanga area.
Developing countries remain underrepresented in key bodies shaping global security, finance, trade and emerging technologies. So who gets to write the world's rules?
That question ran through the three-day 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiong'an, where more than 450 proposals emerged from 22 discussions across five thematic sections, with participants from 97 countries and international organizations.
The forum was held in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei Province in northern China, about 100 kilometres southwest of Beijing.
Established in 2017, Xiong'an was created partly to accommodate functions transferred from Beijing that are not essential to its role as China's capital.
Nearly 400 participants gathered to debate UN reform, international trade and finance, artificial intelligence, climate change, cyberspace and outer space before the forum closed on October 25.
The central argument was that the Global South's growing demographic and economic weight should be reflected more strongly where international rules are written.
The forum provided 'a valuable platform for countries and various sectors, in particular the Global South, to participate in international governance on an equal footing and make their voices heard,' Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs President Wu Ken said.
'It carried out fruitful and valuable explorations to advance global governance from 'elite consensus' to 'all-round collaboration', and from 'forum dialogue' to 'long-term cooperation networks',' he said.
54 African countries, zero permanent seats
The imbalance is particularly visible at the United Nations.
The UN has 193 member states, but its Security Council has only 15 seats — five permanent and 10 elected.
Africa accounts for 54 UN members and around 1.5 billion people, yet has no permanent Security Council seat.
The five permanent seats remain with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
That gap illustrates a central Xiong'an argument: membership does not necessarily mean equivalent decision-making power.
The Global Governance: Xiong'an Vision therefore calls for greater Global South participation in international rule-making, agenda-setting and decision-making.
Wu said the forum had 'consolidated international consensus and public support for reforming and improving global governance.'
$34.65 trillion in trade — but who writes the rules?
The same contradiction appears in the global economy.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has 166 members. In 2025, world merchandise trade was worth $26.26 trillion, while commercial services trade reached $9.56 trillion. Combined global trade in goods and services reached $34.65 trillion.
Developing economies are already major players in that system. By 2024, they accounted for $48 out of every $100 of global merchandise exports, up from $38 out of every $100 in 2006.
Their share of global commercial services exports also rose from about $25 to $33 out of every $100 over the same period.
Trade among developing economies themselves had reached $6.1 trillion in 2022, nearly one-quarter of global trade, compared with less than one-tenth in 1995.
Yet the Xiong'an discussions argued that growing economic weight has not automatically translated into equivalent influence over global trade and financial governance.
The Xiong'an Vision calls for WTO reform addressing digitalization, green development and countries at different development stages.
It also urges Global South countries to coordinate their positions when international economic and trade rules are formulated.
The distinction is crucial: having a large market is economic weight; helping determine its rules is institutional power.
2.2 billion offline as AI rules are written
Artificial intelligence risks reproducing that imbalance.
Around 6 billion people were online in 2025, while approximately 2.2 billion remained offline. More than 2.1 billion of those without internet access live in low- and middle-income economies, according to International Telecommunication Union figures.
That raises another question: can countries facing basic connectivity and investment gaps participate equally in writing the rules for AI?
The Xiong'an Vision proposes the UN as a central platform for AI governance and calls for wider access to technology, research and expertise, alongside safeguards against malicious use and technological monopolies.
A $4 trillion development gap
Finance reveals another divide.
Developing countries face an estimated $4 trillion annual financing gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including around $2.2 trillion linked to the energy transition.
Around 3 billion people also live in countries where governments spend more on debt interest than on health and education combined.
Those figures turn global governance from an abstract debate into questions about hospitals, schools, electricity and infrastructure.
The forum called for faster implementation of the 17 SDGs, reform of international financial governance and greater financial and technological support for developing countries.
For Wu, proposals alone were not enough.
The forum had 'accelerated the translation of core concepts of the Global Governance Initiative from consensus into action,' he said.
China announced eight practical actions covering areas including UN reform, AI capacity-building, human rights, marine biodiversity and outer-space governance, alongside plans for a Global Governance Research Center.
'Multiple institutions released research reports, established dialogue mechanisms and launched cooperation projects,' Wu said.
From blueprint to 5,345 buildings
Xiong'an itself offered a physical example of turning plans into results. Nine years after its establishment, the area has more than 58 million square metres of building floor area and 5,345 newly constructed buildings.
More than 400 new branches of state-owned enterprises and over 4,000 Beijing-origin enterprises have established operations there, while four universities and two hospitals are under construction.
'Participants agreed that the experience and achievements of Xiong'an could inform solutions for global governance and can be of valuable reference,' Wu said.
Yet changing a skyline may prove easier than changing institutions built over generations.
Africa has 54 UN members but no permanent Security Council seat; developing countries face a $4 trillion annual SDG financing gap; and 2.2 billion people remain offline as AI rules are being debated.
Those gaps capture the argument emerging from Xiong'an: the Global South's numerical and economic weight does not yet translate proportionately into rule-making power.
And that leaves one question: Who writes the world's rules?
For the Global South, the test is whether its billions of people and growing economic weight can secure not merely a seat at the table, but a meaningful hand in writing the rules.
The question of who writes the world's rules ran through the three-day 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiong'an, where more than 450 proposals emerged from 22 discussions across five thematic sections, with participants from 97 countries and international organizations.
The move followed a case involving a traveler suspected of having a travel history to the DRC, where Ebola is spreading rapidly, said the ministry in a statement. The traveler transited through Uganda and tested positive upon arrival in Nigeria.
Another traveler with travel history to the DRC also transited through Uganda and turned positive when he reached Kenya in early October.
Under the new measures, all travelers regardless of origin must complete locator forms to facilitate contact tracing, where necessary, the ministry said.
Infection and control measures have been strengthened at all entry and exit points and health facilities, while nationwide surveillance continues, it said.
The ministry warned that people entering Uganda through unauthorized routes would face prosecution for violating public health requirements.
'The ministry requests communities to remain vigilant and report suspected unauthorized border crossings to the relevant authorities to facilitate screening and necessary public health follow-up,' the statement said.
It also noted that Uganda remains Ebola-free.
Uganda reported 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths, before the end of the outbreak was officially recognized by the World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on August 27, after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case.
Under the new measures, all travelers regardless of origin must complete locator forms to facilitate contact tracing, where necessary, the ministry said.
In Bologna, clashes broke out between some demonstrators and police on Saturday evening, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported. Emergency medical services received 17 calls for assistance, and six people were taken to hospital by ambulance.
In Rome, demonstrators set off from Piazza della Repubblica on Saturday afternoon for an anti-war march, according to the ANSA news agency. Clashes erupted between protesters and police in the city center later in the evening, prompting police to use water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.
In Turin, demonstrators protesting mainly against increased military spending and rising fuel prices clashed with police on Saturday evening. Some protesters threw fireworks and bottles at officers, who responded by firing tear gas.
Following demonstrations that escalated into riots and looting last weekend, particularly in Milan, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi ordered additional police forces to be deployed across the country. The reinforcement was focused particularly on major cities where the largest rallies were expected.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence in a social media post on Saturday evening, stressing the need to protect both peaceful demonstrators and the wider public.
'Everyone's safety must be guaranteed: those who wish to demonstrate peacefully, those who work, and those who want to live in their cities without fear,' she said. 'We must leave no room for those who seek nothing but confrontation and violence.'
Police stand guard near Circo Massimo for an anti-war march in Rome, Italy, Oct. 24, 2026. Protests over rising living costs, military expansion and increased arms spending swept across several Italian cities on Saturday, with clashes between demonstrators and police reported in multiple locations. Demonstrators march past the Colosseum during an anti-war march in Rome, Italy, Oct. 24, 2026. Protests over rising living costs, military expansion and increased arms spending swept across several Italian cities on Saturday, with clashes between demonstrators and police reported in multiple locations. Demonstrators march past the Colosseum during an anti-war march in Rome, Italy, Oct. 24, 2026. Protests over rising living costs, military expansion and increased arms spending swept across several Italian cities on Saturday, with clashes between demonstrators and police reported in multiple locations. Demonstrators are seen during an anti-war march in Rome, Italy, Oct. 24, 2026. Protests over rising living costs, military expansion and increased arms spending swept across several Italian cities on Saturday, with clashes between demonstrators and police reported in multiple locations.
The two specialists were among 4,953 students who graduated from the University of Rwanda (UR) during its 12th graduation ceremony held at the Rukara campus in Kayonza District on Friday, October 23, 2026.
According to the Ministry of Health, the surgeons have performed 114 kidney transplants at King Faisal Hospital since 2023 under the mentorship of Prof Jeffrey David Punch of the University of Michigan.
The graduation also included 120 doctors, 497 nurses and midwives, and 78 specialists and subspecialists in fields such as neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, anatomical pathology and medical oncology.
The ministry described their graduation as a milestone in building domestic capacity for specialised medical services, helping expand access to complex procedures within the country.
Their achievement comes amid efforts to increase the number of trained health professionals under the 4×4 Health Workforce Development Reform, launched in July 2023. The initiative aims to quadruple the health workforce within four years while strengthening training quality and expanding specialised care.
'Our 4×4 reform is working. Congratulations to all!' the Ministry of Health said.
In a statement issued earlier this year, the Ministry of Health reported that residency programmes had increased from 17 to 24, while fellowship programmes had expanded from eight to 25 subspecialties.
The ministry said average annual enrolment in health training programmes between 2023 and 2025 was 3.3 times higher than historical levels, with more than 16,360 students enrolled across health programmes by December 2025.
Speaking at the Friday graduation ceremony, Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana urged graduates to apply their skills to practical challenges and create opportunities rather than focus solely on finding jobs.
'Do not just wait for opportunities. Use your knowledge and creativity to create them,' he said.
The University of Rwanda's 12th graduation ceremony also included 49 PhD holders and 1,086 master's degree graduates.
The two specialists were among 4,953 students who graduated from the University of Rwanda (UR) during its 12th graduation ceremony held at the Rukara campus in Kayonza District on Friday, October 23, 2026.The latest graduation also included 120 doctors, 497 nurses and midwives, and 78 specialists and subspecialists in fields such as neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, anatomical pathology and medical oncology.
