HUYE - Dorothy Mutesi, 19, a first year Economics and Management student was on Friday night crowned Miss National University of Rwanda during this year’s Rector Excellence Awards presided over by Sports and Culture Minister, Joseph Habineza.

Mutesi, who takes over from her predecessor, Viviane Umulisa, beat off stiff competition from five other contestants. The six competed on the catwalk, talent show and in a gruelling question and answer session that left many ‘bruised’.

The event that was attended by a mammoth crowd in the university’s main auditorium was also used to reward outstanding students for their achievements in sports, academics and the arts.

Jean de Dieu Rwirangira, the head of the Campus Initiative Promotion; the organisers of the event, said that rewarding the best is a practice entrenched in Rwandan culture.
"In ancient Rwanda, when the gallant men returned from war, they were received with pomp and rewarded for their efforts, this is the culture that we want to carry on by rewarding those who have excelled in our community,” said Rwirangira.

Habineza commended the university for maintaining the practice of rewarding the best performers in their community. He said that this will serve as an incentive to perform better in the knowledge that they will be recognised for their efforts.

Habineza noted that the Miss Campus contest has greatly improved over the years. He said that the participants exuded confidence and the crowd was more participative.
The Minister challenged the university students to embrace the Arts as one way of earning an income so as to reduce depending on handouts from parents and relatives.

This was in reference to creativity demonstrated by one Miss Campus contestant, Grace Uwase, who made earrings out of bottle tops during a talent show session.
Uwase pays street children to pick bottle tops which she moulds into earrings. Habineza challenged students to learn skills outside their areas of study if they are to survive in the competitive job market.

Mutesi walked away with a cash prize of Rwf300,000 and a Christmas holiday on the sandy beaches of Lake Tanganyika.

The event was graced by ‘Misses’ from several universities and institutions of higher learning in the country.

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