The University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology (UR-CST) emerged top in the first ever edition of the National Inter-University Female Debate Championship.

Nine institutions from around the country took part in the competition on Saturday at the Akilah Institute for Women in Kibagabaga, Kigali.

The three-person team from UR-CST beat off stiff competition from Kepler Kigali to claim a trophy and gold medals in a tense final in front of an audience including the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, William Gelling, Akilah Institute staff and students from the nine participating institutions.

Gelling described as "important” the theme of the day, ‘The Women’s Role in Public Speaking and the Development of the Nation’. 

"Developing is not about electricity, constructing new roads and buildings, but being able to ask questions, expressing oneself and being held to account and holding others to account,” he explained.

The nine institutions were divided into two pools and the top two in the both pools made it to the semifinals. Kepler Kigali beat hosts Akilah Institute, while UR-CASS defeated Kigali Institute of Management en route to the  finals. The top three institutions were handed cheques worth Rwf250,000, Rwf150.000 and Rwf100,000 respectively. Akilah Institute took the bronze. The best three speakers were awarded Rwf50,000, Rwf30,000 and Rwf20,000 respectively.

The other institutions that took part were the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre, College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, College of Education, Independent University of Kigali-Gisenyi, Catholic Institute of Kabgayiand UR-Busogo .