Butare graduates as it was so regarded were considered to be smart and capable to perform any duty assigned to them whether with expertise or not. 

They were believed to be swift and adaptable to any working environment which was either falsified or true.  The finalists from this oldest university had conquered the job market in this city at least for 20 years and shortly beyond. Yes, they had the reason to do so, despite the Harvard graduates who always disses local graduate as primary pupils Butare graduates were preferred first before others graduates from others universities.

The recruiters could ask a Butare graduate on the panel. Wasoreje he Kaminuza? loosely translated as which universities did you graduate from? And before the recruiters finish the question. A Butare graduate could already speak out ‘Butare’ as if it is a kindergarten kid rushing to utter out a burning answer before others.

That privilege was good but not for the last. Sorry to say but drums have changed their sticks so that Butare graduates are the most unemployed.

Our short survey estimated and found out that 70% of Butare graduates are unemployed graduates at least in the first year of completion of their studies compared to graduates of other universities dwelt in the city. 

Well, the number of unemployed graduates might also be influenced by the courses of a student which implies also that some courses are marketable more than others especially the science courses of IT, Medicine and Architecture according to the recent official report.

In this situation, the main cause is that Butare graduates when they go to Butare city (University of Rwanda-Huye-Campus) they forget about the world of hustle waiting for them outside.

To make the matter worse, the fact that the location of the UR-Huye Campus (Former National University) is upcountry despite its Huye’s Secondary city accreditation make for these students more inaccessible as regards the chances of meeting their potential recruiters, connection or other job opportunities.  

Of course not all fresh graduates every year get salaried jobs when they complete their studies some are forced by unemployment to create their own jobs for them to survive. And here is where the bone of contention lies.

Seemingly, Butare graduates are stuck on papers rather than settling and sell Chapattis-they have that mindset and high prospects on the white-collar jobs, working in offices with sofa chairs rather than engaging blue-collar jobs like involving in retail trade or activity that would earn them a living. 

Probably, the preference people used to give these students has blindfolded them. 

On contrary to their counterpart in Kigali have excelled in getting payable internship or skills related to their theoretical courses earlier than the Butare campuser.

In addition, our survey also found out that 60% of the students who graduate in the UR campuses based in Kigali by the time they graduate have established connections through attending workshops events and met their potential recruiters. This is due to students in the Capital are exposed to those chances.

Butare fresh graduates shouldn’t be blamed though, but the environment of education itself! It is saddening that when Butare students reach the university are forced to soak in the theoretical direction- a world of studying where students learn and re-learn the theory but cannot put his works into practice to the extent that when a student graduate from Huye is blank about the technical-know-how of a working environment.

This affects much the students in the law schools because a big number of lawyers who graduate requires to intern in Kigali due that Huye where the faculty of law is based has no legal facilities that can help the students excel in skills.

Legal facilities, here we can say law firms, courts, prosecutorial bureaus, and other legal institutions that can help fresh graduates with needed skills.

In a nutshell, therefore, without favoring Butare students accessing learning while studying avenues moot courts for lawyers or other strategies they will continually be left behind despite the fact that they have great lectures in front of them.