Rwanda has recovered more than Rwf15.4 billion in public funds and assets lost through embezzlement between 2013 and 2025, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The ministry said the recoveries followed court cases in which prosecutors secured convictions in cases involving the misuse or embezzlement of public resources.
However, the ministry said challenges remain, including cases in which individuals found guilty of misappropriating public resources register assets in other people’s names in an attempt to conceal evidence and frustrate recovery efforts.
The recovery of misappropriated public assets remains a key responsibility of the Ministry of Justice, particularly following concerns raised by lawmakers on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) about officials and individuals who misuse public resources being held accountable.
The Office of the Prosecutor General says the number of successful cases involving the embezzlement of public resources has continued to increase. In the 2024/25 financial year, prosecutors secured convictions in 84% of such cases.
A total of 620 public-resource-related cases were heard and concluded by courts during the year, involving 1,141 accused persons. Prosecutors won 521 of the cases and lost 99.
In the 2025/26 financial year, 613 such cases were heard and concluded, with prosecutors winning 542, representing an 87.9% success rate.
Following successful prosecutions, the Ministry of Justice pursues the recovery of assets and funds involved in the cases. The ministry says more than Rwf15.4 billion has been recovered between 2013 and 2025.
Despite the progress, MINIJUST says the concealment of assets remains a challenge, with some people convicted of public-resource-related offences registering assets in the names of third parties to make them harder to trace and recover.
Public institutions reported missing or unexplained funds
Each year, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee reviews irregularities identified in reports by the Auditor General, including cases involving the improper use of funds allocated to government institutions, agencies and ministries.
The PAC says its review of the 2024/25 report identified cases involving missing funds as well as expenditure for which government institutions failed to provide adequate explanations.
At the Rwanda Housing Authority, more than Rwf45 million was paid as a lump sum for work related to the supply and installation of artificial turf at Huye Stadium, without detailed documentation showing what had been completed under the project.
At the Ministry of Health, more than Rwf340 million was added to contracts for the construction of wastewater treatment plants at Muhima and Bushenge hospitals, even though the contracts for the projects had not been formally amended.
At the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), its subsidiary RUGC Ltd purchased hotel equipment worth more than Rwf1.539 billion for a hotel that had not yet been constructed. The equipment was reportedly purchased based on an expectation that it would be needed, without a prior assessment of the requirement.
The equipment has also incurred storage costs of Rwf1.8 million per month since 2023.
The PAC also identified a lack of supporting documentation for more than Rwf3 billion spent by RSSB.
At the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), the committee identified payments of about Rwf18.9 million to consultants in excess of the amounts they were contractually entitled to receive, without documented justification.
