The campus of Rwanda Polytechnic in Musanze District (IPRC-Musanze) has acquired new facilities worth Rwf13 billion, which are expected to double the school’s capacity, according to the administration. The facilities, which include classrooms, workshops, dormitories and assorted teaching materials, were donated to the school by the People’s Republic of China. At the official handover ceremony held in Musanze on Wednesday, November 24, Rao Hongwei, the Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, said the IPRC Musanze extension project was courtesy of the two countries’ cooperation in the field of education. The new facilities built with Chinese assistance will enable IPRC Musanze to double the enrolment capacity “We are happy to see that the Government of Rwanda attaches great importance to education and has made remarkable progress in this endeavor. As a good partner of Rwanda, China is always ready to work together with and continue to provide assistance within our capability to Rwanda to improve its education,” Ambassador Rao said. Claudette Irere, the State Minister in the Ministry of Education in charge of ICT and TVET, said that the new buildings built for IPRC Musanze would allow the school to offer more programmes. “This is the second phase of the IPRC Musanze built with assistance from China. The first phase started from upwards of 100 students to nearly 800. We are very thankful for their assistance,” Irere, who officiated the handover, said. She said: “The school could enrol a little more than 1,000 students, but the new buildings will double that capacity or even more. The number of programs offered here will also increase from seven to 12.” Irere added that with the new facilities, IPRC Musanze became one of the major TVET schools in Rwanda. Emile Abayisenga, the Principal of IPRC Musanze said the school had gained more programs. The facilities worth Rwf13 million include classrooms, workshops and dormitories. “We have got new teaching programs and the ones we already had will be improved. The new ones include highway engineering, water and sanitation, which is part of civil engineering, information technology and e-commerce,” Abayisenga said. The IPRC Musanze started in 2015 with 170 and later we could enrol 900 students. Abayisenga said that by 2024 the enrollment capacity will reach 2,500, from the current 1,250 students. The handover took place during a month in which China and Rwanda are celebrating 50 years of bilateral cooperation.
