Rwanda’s Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) says it has resolved appeals from about 340,000 households challenging the income categories assigned to them under the country’s revised community-based health insurance (Mutuelle de Santé) contribution system.
More than 360,000 households appealed their classifications after the government introduced a new contribution model for the 2026/27 financial year, prompting officials to acknowledge that improvements are still needed in the data used to determine contribution levels.
Godfrey Kayigana, Director General of Social Protection at MINALOC, said the high number of appeals highlights shortcomings in the digital system but also provides an opportunity to improve its accuracy.
“The fact that more than 360,000 households appealed shows there are still some issues with the system. The appeals will help MINALOC and the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) refine the process so that everyone is placed in the category that best reflects their socio-economic status,” Kayigana said during an interview with Royal FM.
He said the classification system relies on a digital social protection platform that assesses households based on socio-economic information, including occupation and income. Errors in some of the data resulted in households being assigned to categories they considered inaccurate.
Kayigana said the government plans to enhance the system over the next three years by integrating additional data sources, including information related to bank and mobile money transactions, to improve the assessment of household economic status.
Under the revised Mutuelle contribution framework, households are grouped into five income-based categories.
The government fully subsidizes the annual premium of Rwf4,000 per person for the poorest households. People in the second category pay Rwf3,000 while the state covers the remaining Rwf1,000. Households in the third category contribute Rwf5,000 per person annually, those in the fourth category pay Rwf8,000, while individuals in the highest income category contribute Rwf20,000 each.
RSSB estimates that around 90 percent of members fall within the categories paying between Rwf4,000 and Rwf8,000.
Meanwhile, the Rwanda Social Security Board says enrollment has slowed under the new pricing structure.
Deogratias Ntigurirwa, RSSB’s head of mobilization and Mutuelle member registration, said contributions have so far been paid by 51 percent of targeted beneficiaries, compared with 63 percent during the same period last year.
He attributed the decline largely to the adjustment to higher contribution rates, saying many households had become accustomed to paying the previous flat-rate premium of Rwf3,000.
“Many people were used to paying Rwf3,000. Asking someone who now falls into the Rwf8,000 category to pay the higher amount, even if they have the means, requires extensive public awareness and explanation,” Ntigurirwa said.
Authorities say they will continue reviewing outstanding appeals while intensifying public awareness campaigns to improve enrollment and ensure households understand the revised contribution system.
