The Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) held its 13th graduation ceremony on December 6, at Nyanza Stadium. The event celebrated the achievements of approximately 527 graduates who were awarded their degrees. Among them, 31 earned degrees in the Postgraduate Program in Child Justice, marking the first-ever cohort of the program, while 496 completed a Postgraduate Program in Legal Practice. The event featured international students from eight African countries; Rwanda, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia, Gabon, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Chad. As the ceremony begun, a minute of silence was observed to honour the memory of two students who tragically passed away and could have been among the graduates on the special day. Shortly afterward, ILPD Rector Aime Muyoboke Karimunda addressed the congress, urging the Institute’s partners such as the Ministry of Education, NCDA, and UNICEF, to incorporate the Child Justice Program into the budgets of institutions working with children. “For instance, all our court registrars, judges, advocates, investigators, prosecutors, and the child protection officers who are dealing with matters related to children should be certified,” he said. He added that the institute is ready to tailor a short course program for an international audience, to launch a full-time mode, to translate the program into French if they secure a full class of Francophone students, and to adopt a hybrid teaching methodology. At around 11:00 a.m., the traditional dance troupe ‘Inkeshagitaramo’ captivated the guests with vibrant performances that celebrated Rwanda's rich culture, adding joy and energy to the graduation ceremony. This was followed by the graduates receiving their degrees, elegantly parading in front of the guests of honour in their black gowns, beaming with smiles. The best performers received awards including tablets, crystal trophies, professional internships, notebooks, and pens. Among the recipients were Jean D’amour Bizimana from the Department of Legal Practice, Bernard Hategekimana from the Department of Child Justice, Cecilia Rutembesa, the first runner-up in the Department of Legal Practice, and Jules Ndongimo, the best performer among international students. Lilian Kayigirwa, a graduate from the Department of Legal Practice, delivered a speech on behalf of the graduates, expressing their excitement. She said, “Today, we celebrate reaching this significant milestone in our journey to becoming advocates, investigators, prosecutors, and judges, dedicated to making our country proud.” She reminded her fellow graduates that law is not just a career but a calling—to serve others, bring justice where it is needed, and make a positive change in society. The guest of honor, the Minister of Justice, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, urged the graduates to embrace the art of asking powerful questions. He emphasised this skill, along with other crucial tips, as essential tools to guide them in building successful and impactful careers. Ugirashebuje said: As indicated by the Rwanda Governance Scoreboard, the 11th edition, which was released in November 2024, the pillar of the rule of law scored 88.51 percent, while in the Citizen Report Card 2024, Rwandans were satisfied with the justice-related services at the score of 81.6 percent. He acknowledged the significant achievements made so far but emphasized that there is still room for improvement. The minister said that the government expects a lot from the graduates and urged them to commit to contributing to the sector by applying the skills and knowledge they gained.
