Bobson Rugambwa is CEO of MVend Limited, a Rwandan fintech that specializes in financial inclusion solutions for the underserved, where he leads a team of young, passionate innovators in creating digital financial solutions. He is also the Next Einstein Forum Ambassador for Rwanda, an organization that advocates and promotes scientific education and research in Africa with the aim of creating the next Einstein from the African continent.
A passionate software engineer and clean energy enthusiast, Bobson believes that Africa is putting the right tools in her people’s hands away from turning her story around, and that, the mandate to do so lies with her young generation. He is a student of sustainable energy for development and the link between energy and capital as catalysts for economic development.
Bobson holds a Master of Science in Information Technology degree from Carnegie Mellon University. During his time at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, he served as the president of the student’s guild. Away from his professional life, Bobson is a member of a enjoys swimming, singing, playing tennis and traveling.
Rwanda’s vision 2020 aims at turning Rwanda in a knowledge-based economy. Over the years, Rwanda
has invested in science, technology with a special emphasis on ICTs as a way of achieving this goal.
Major strides have been made in the areas of connectivity with the laying out of a national fiber optic
backbone to improve internet connectivity with 4G network coverage now covering the whole country.
Other programs such as the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), establishment of incubation labs such as
KLab that has opened its doors across all provinces of the country, creation of IPRCs( Integrated
Polytechnic Regional Colleges) to foster practical science education as well as setting up centers of
excellence in various fields as evidenced by the presence of world renown Carnegie Mellon University – a
research university in Kigali are all bold steps by the East African nation in advancing the cause of
science and technology as a means to achieving their national development goals.
These strategic, and bold moves have seen an evolution of the landscape with more learning and
research institutions such as the AIMS Quantum Leap Africa Research Centre, Andela – an American
software developer training organization with operations in 3 other African cities, set shop in Rwanda,
with the later planning to set up a Pan African hub.
This year, at the Rwanda National Research and Innovation Symposium, The National Research and
Innovation Fund (NRIF) was officially launched. Financed by government and managed by the National
Council for Science and Technology (NCST), the fund will act as a seed facility that will mainly focus on
the youth. The NCST is a body mandated with integrating science, technology, innovation and research
into national development strategies and plans.
Rwanda is now among a few African countries that have such a fund after South Africa, Kenya and
Egypt.
