Rwanda graduated its first two renal transplant surgeons, Dr Alexandre Nyirimodoka and Dr Emmanuel Muhawenimana, on October 23, 2026, at the University of Rwanda (UR).

Since 2023, the two surgeons have successfully performed 114 kidney transplants at King Faisal Hospital Rwanda, under the mentorship of Prof. Jeffrey David Punch of the University of Michigan.

The milestone comes as the University of Rwanda graduates 4,953 students, including 1,331 in health-related fields. Among them are 497 nurses and midwives, 120 doctors, and 78 specialists and subspecialists in fields such as neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, anatomical pathology and medical oncology.

The achievement highlights Rwanda’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its healthcare workforce and expand access to specialised medical services through the 4×4 health workforce reform.