The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, Ministers of Education and Health, and other dignitaries, reflecting the country’s commitment to cultivating health leaders who combine expertise with compassion and social responsibility.

“For a long time, solutions in our health system were often seen as something that has to come from elsewhere. Today, we affirm a different truth: pain, disease and avoidable death are not our destiny, and neither are bound to wait for answers to arrive from afar,” she said, inspiring graduates and attendees to take charge in shaping Rwanda’s health future.

She also reminded participants of the centrality of justice in health, stating, “Health is a fundamental human right and equity must remain at the center of how we educate, serve and lead.”

During her speech, First Lady Kagame acknowledged the role of institutions and partners in supporting the graduates.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we owe to whom we owe our young graduates' engagement in this journey. Founded through Partners in Health, UGHE is indeed built on the principle that excellence in health education goes hand in hand with equity and that leadership in medicine and public health should be grounded not only in technical knowledge and academic rigor, but also in compassion, justice, commitment and inclusive services,” she emphasized.

At the event, First Lady Kagame was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, by UGHE for her exceptional leadership and contributions to education, health, and equity in Rwanda, Africa, and beyond. On receiving the award, she said:

“I am deeply honored to receive the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. I accept this honor with keen awareness of the responsibility with which it comes; reflecting on the shared commitment that brings us together today: the belief that health is a fundamental human right, and that equity must remain at the center of how we educate, how we serve, and how we lead.”

The ceremony marked the graduation of 78 students, including the first cohort of the dual Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme and the 10th graduating class of the Master of Science in Global Health Delivery (MGHD). Graduates represented diverse nationalities, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Eritrea, Ghana, Germany, Malawi, Nigeria, Burundi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.