Insurance companies in Rwanda are revising their contracts to make them available in Kinyarwanda, allowing customers to better understand the terms, conditions and requirements before signing.
However, the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) says the industry should have acted earlier to comply with consumer-protection requirements.
The issue was discussed on Sunday, October 25, 2026, during Dusangire Ijambo, a programme broadcast by Rwanda Television (RTV) that focused on the insurance sector. The discussion was reported by BTN TV Rwanda.
Charlotte Kamanzi, Managing Director of SONARWA General Insurance, said insurance companies were working to make their contracts easier for customers to understand. She noted that customers had previously complained about insurance and banking documents being printed in small, difficult-to-read text.
“We are now revising those documents. We want to start providing insurance contracts in Kinyarwanda so that people can understand the contracts they sign, the insurance they purchase and the requirements they must meet to receive compensation,” Kamanzi said, according to BTN TV Rwanda.
She added that the contracts would also be available in French and English, with the company aiming to begin using the revised documents before the end of 2026.
Kamanzi said the industry wanted to address public concerns that insurance companies often failed to pay claims, stressing that clearer contracts could help customers understand what their policies cover and what they need to do when making a claim.
BNR says insurers should have acted sooner
Bernard Nsengiyumva, a BNR official responsible for financial-sector stability, said insurance companies were late in implementing the requirements.
“These contracts must be in Kinyarwanda. They are already late. The laws have been in place for three years,” he said during the RTV programme, as reported by BTN TV Rwanda.
Rwanda’s legal framework for protecting financial service consumers includes Law No. 017/2021 of March 3, 2021, relating to financial service consumer protection, as well as BNR Regulation No. 55/2022 of October 27, 2022, on financial service consumer protection.
These instruments establish requirements intended to promote transparency and help customers make informed decisions. The legal texts are available through the BNR website.
Nsengiyumva said insurers must explain to customers what is covered and excluded under a policy before they sign it. This helps policyholders understand the circumstances under which they can claim compensation and the conditions they must satisfy.
The responsibility also extends to insurance agents and brokers, who help customers access insurance products. According to Nsengiyumva, BNR has the authority to take action against insurance providers and intermediaries that fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
What the law says about insurance claims
Clear contracts are only one part of consumer protection. The handling and payment of claims are also governed by legal requirements.
Article 123 of Rwanda’s Law No. 030/2021 of June 30, 2021, governing the organisation of insurance business, provides that when an insurer accepts liability, compensation must be paid within one month after all requirements have been fulfilled and the amount payable has been agreed upon.
The law also provides for interest where an insurer fails to pay compensation within the prescribed period without justification. Where an insurer rejects a claim or accepts only part of it, it must notify the claimant in writing within 10 working days of receiving the claim and explain the reasons for its decision.
These provisions mean that the payment deadline depends on the completion of the required procedures and agreement on the compensation amount. It should not automatically be interpreted as 30 days from the date a claim is first reported.
The full legislation is available in the official insurance law published by BNR.
BNR also says its consumer-protection work includes supervising how financial institutions communicate with customers, handle complaints and process claims. Its guidance emphasises clear, understandable and timely information for insurance policyholders.
Agricultural insurance contracts already use Kinyarwanda
The discussion also highlighted progress in agricultural insurance.
Museruka, who oversees the crop and livestock insurance programme at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), said contracts used under the programme are written in Kinyarwanda and fit on a single page.
The approach is intended to make the terms easier for farmers to read and understand, particularly when they need to know which risks are covered and what conditions apply before compensation can be paid.
Agricultural insurance can help farmers manage financial losses associated with risks covered by their policies. However, policyholders still need to understand the coverage, exclusions, reporting procedures and other requirements set out in their contracts.
Clearer contracts could improve trust in insurance
Making insurance contracts available in a language customers understand could help reduce misunderstandings between policyholders and insurance companies. It could also help customers compare products, understand exclusions and know what evidence they need when submitting claims.
However, translating a contract alone will not resolve every complaint about insurance payments. Customers also need clear explanations, fair assessment of claims, timely decisions and access to effective complaint-handling mechanisms.
The BNR’s consumer-protection framework places emphasis on transparency, fair treatment and informed decision-making. Its implementation will therefore depend not only on the language used in contracts, but also on how insurers and their intermediaries explain and apply those agreements in practice.
