Rwanda Polytechnic faced renewed scrutiny from lawmakers on Friday, July 3, 2026, over delayed refunds of student security deposits that have accumulated for years without being fully paid out.
Members of Parliament sitting in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised the issue during a review of findings in the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, which highlighted persistent gaps in managing refundable student “caution” fees.
The deposits are collected from students upon enrollment and are intended to cover potential damages during their studies, with refunds issued upon graduation if no losses are recorded.
Lawmakers said the continued delay in refunds reflects weaknesses in financial management and student record-keeping systems at the institution, noting that the issue has repeatedly appeared in audit reports without being resolved.
PAC Chairperson MP Muhakwa Valens questioned why graduates who completed multi-year programs could not be traced, arguing that institutions should have reliable systems to track former students and process refunds efficiently.
Rwanda Polytechnic Deputy Director General in charge of finance, Jean Pierre Nkuranga, told lawmakers the challenge lies in locating graduates who completed their studies many years ago, in some cases up to 15 years, and have since changed contact details or residences.
He said the institution has so far refunded RWF 8 million this year to graduates it has been able to trace and added that recovery efforts will be included in staff performance targets under Imihigo to improve follow-up.
Nkuranga said that in cases where beneficiaries cannot be located, the institution may consult relevant authorities on procedures for clearing the amounts from its financial records.
However, MPs rejected the explanation, saying it does not address underlying weaknesses in administrative systems and accountability mechanisms, particularly given that student records should include sufficient identifying information to enable tracing.
The Ministry of Education said the matter should be reviewed closely, noting that national identification details and academic records should normally allow institutions to locate graduates unless contact information has become outdated.
It said it will work with Rwanda Polytechnic to ensure timely refunds for recent graduates while continuing efforts to resolve older cases.
Rwanda Polytechnic did not provide lawmakers with a breakdown of the number of affected students or individual refund amounts, a gap MPs said limits effective oversight.
