Dr. Rukia Mwifunyi holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, awarded in 2010 and 2013, respectively. She began her academic career at the University of Dodoma (UDOM) in 2011 as a Tutorial Assistant in the College of Informatics and Virtual Education, advancing to the role of Assistant Lecturer in 2013. From 2013 to 2016, Dr. Mwifunyi served as the Head of Multimedia and Content Development at UDOM.

Dr. Mwifunyi pursued her PhD in Computer and IT System Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam, focusing on the application of Artificial Intelligence to improve fault management and enhance the reliability of electrical power systems. She has contributed to several impactful projects, including "Applying Mobile Technology for Medical Drugs Verification in Tanzania" and more recently, "AI for Maternal Health Risk Stratification" and "Enhancing Beverage Value Chains Using Mobile Payment Systems in Tanzania."

Her current research interests span the Internet of Things (IoT), self-healing systems, reinforcement learning, and optimization techniques. Dr. Mwifunyi currently holds the position of Head of the Admission Department at the University of Dodoma and serves as a Board Member at the Medical Store Department (MSD).