The College of Science and Technology (CST) was established by the Government of Rwanda LAW N° 71/2013 OF 10/09/2013 ESTABLISHING THE UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA (UR) AND DETERMINING ITS MISSION, POWERS, ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONING as a Technology specialized college in teaching and training of highly skilled personnel in the fields of pure and applied sciences and engineering to fast track national development.

In line with the Government's commitment to achieve the goals and objectives clearly set out in the country's EDPRS 2 and the Vision 2020, the College of Science and Technology (CST) is one of the six specialized colleges that are under the University of Rwanda, CST therefore plays a key role in teaching and research, reaching out to the community and supporting the private sector with highly skilled labour.

KIST has won two Ashden Awards, one in 2005 for their work with biogas plants to process sewage at prisons and provide gas for cooking,[2] and another in 2002 for the development of a fuel-efficient bread oven.

After the 1994 Genocide, the president of Rwanda decided to move all military outside the city and transform it into an international school of sciences.

It is equipped with modern tools of technology like a 400 million dollar computer lab donated by the African Development Bank in 2009.