March 1, 2025
Venue – ESSA Nyarugunga
Competition goal: to provide a fair and competitive environment for new debaters to develop their skills before advancing to higher levels of debate competition.
College St. Marie Reine Kabgayi’s beginner debate teams made an outstanding impact at the iDebate Rwanda- Kigali Debate League (KDL) for beginners held at ESSA Nyarugunga- Kigali. Despite being newcomers to the competitive debate scene, the young debaters showcased remarkable skills, with two out of the three teams securing victories in all three of their preliminary rounds.

Guided by their two dedicated patrons, the 15-member team—comprising nine deters and six assistants—demonstrated strong argumentation, research abilities, confidence, and adherence to all debating protocols. Their success in the preliminary rounds has placed them in a strong position as they await the next stage of the competition. Adding to the team’s motivation and support, College St. Marie Reine was honored to receive a visit from the Parents’ Committee President, who came to encourage and assist the students in their journey.

Round 1

•  Team 1 was set to compete against KCS, which forfeited. However, our team engaged in a rigorous public speaking challenge conducted by two professional judges who commended their well-structured arguments and critical thinking.
•  Team 2 competed against ES Bumbogo and emerged victorious.
•  Team 3 secured a win against GS Remera Rukoma.

Round 2

•  Team 3 triumphed over Petit Séminaire Zaza.
• Team 2 defeated ITSS.
• Team 1 faced a tough challenge and was defeated by GS Gikomero.

Round 3

• Team 3 defeated GS Remera Rukoma.
• Team 2 secured a victory against Gacuriro TSS.

However, a technical issue with the iDebate ranking system led to the postponement of the knockout rounds, including the Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and Finals. Tournament organizers assured participants that the issue would be resolved soon, and a new date for the remaining rounds would be communicated.

Despite the delay, College St. Marie Reine Kabgayi’s beginner teams remain highly motivated and ready to continue their remarkable performance once the competition resumes. Their success so far is a testament to their potential, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

The teams are as follow:
TEAM BEGINNERS

Stay tuned for more updates as the tournament progresses.

Prepared by: Egide TWAGIRAYEZU and MAHORO Bonne Annee
iDEBATE Patrons.
COLLEGE SAINTE MARIE REINE KABGAYI