Dr. Valentine Uwamariya is the current Minister of Environment. Prior to this, she served as the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion in Rwanda.

She also served as the Minister of Education for three and a half years. Before joining the Ministry of Education, she was the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Training, Institutional Development, and Research at Rwanda Polytechnic (RP).

She was responsible for providing science- and technology-based technical and vocational training, enabling beneficiaries to create jobs for personal development. She is passionate about promoting research and technology and disseminating findings to foster national development.

Dr. Valentine holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the former National University of Rwanda (NUR). In 2005, she earned her M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa). In 2013, she obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Water Technology from UNESCO-IHE and Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands).

Dr. Valentine has been involved in teaching and research for 19 years at the university level and served as the Dean of the School of Science at the College of Science and Technology (University of Rwanda).

Besides being a senior lecturer and researcher at the University of Rwanda, Dr. Valentine has held other important responsibilities in Rwandan society and has served on the boards of local companies. She is also a member of local and international organizations.