Consumer protection in Rwanda

Law N° 011/2026 applies to economic activity that affects consumers or competition in the Rwandan market and replaced Law N° 36/2012. Sellers and service providers must give clear contract and product information, display prices, issue receipts, provide correct labels, meet applicable standards, respect guarantees and offer after-sales support. They must also maintain a complaint mechanism. Unfair or harmful contract terms are not binding, and advertising or comparative advertising must be objective and not misleading. The Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority, known as RICA, is the main authority for general goods, services, product quality, unfair trading and market supervision. A complaint can be made verbally, by hotline, email, hard copy or electronic portal. RICA confirms receipt immediately where possible and can inspect, test samples, order warnings or recalls, require repair, replacement, refund or price reduction, investigate breaches and impose interim measures. If a matter belongs to another sector, RICA can refer it to the responsible regulator. A RICA decision can be challenged before the Independent Appeal Committee within 30 days and then before the competent court within a further 30 days. A seller must refund a consumer within five days when goods or services are unavailable after a purchase. For defective or non-conforming goods or services, the available remedy can be repair, replacement, refund or price reduction, depending on the circumstances. Rwanda does not have a generally established statutory exchange period for a simple change of mind, so consumers should distinguish that situation from a defect, non-conformity or a specific distance-selling right. Keep the receipt, price information, label, contract, messages and payment record. Sector rules add separate complaint procedures. Financial service providers, including banks, microfinance institutions, SACCOs, insurers, pension providers, payment service providers, foreign-exchange providers and non-deposit-taking financial service providers, must be licensed. Under the National Bank of Rwanda framework in Law N° 017/2021 and Regulations N° 55/2022 and N° 56/2022, the provider should acknowledge a complaint within one working day, issue a tracking code, answer within 15 days and give an update every five days when the matter remains unresolved. The consumer can then escalate to the National Bank of Rwanda through SMS 6005, WhatsApp 0791700721 or INTUMWA. Digital finance services operate continuously, planned maintenance should be announced at least two days in advance and an outage should be communicated immediately. Online companies and platforms fall under the digital-services rules in Chapter VI of Law N° 011/2026. They must identify themselves, register where required, provide a Rwanda address, publish terms and conditions, explain delivery, payment and privacy arrangements, issue a purchase record in real time and allow access to, correction of or deletion of personal data and unsubscribing. Advertising must be recognizable and offer a free opt-out, while false platform information and false ratings are prohibited. For distance contracts, a consumer can cancel within seven days after receiving the goods or service; the consumer bears the return cost. Existing online businesses have six months from 4 March 2026 to comply. The Digital Commerce Regulatory Tribunal, or DCRT, handles complaints against e-commerce platforms registered with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, known as MINICOM. A reference number is issued, and unresolved complaints are automatically escalated after seven days. Travel complaints follow the relevant transport regulator. Air-travel complaints go to the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, or RCAA, under RCAR Parts 01 and 36 and the applicable complaint form and handling manual. Complaints about other regulated passenger transport go to the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority, or RURA, including through hotline 2222. Rwanda has no single travel ombudsman system established by the available evidence. For electricity, water, telecommunications and regulated transport, complain to the utility or provider first and then to RURA if the response is inadequate. Complaints may be written or oral; RURA staff can assist with filing where the complainant cannot read or write, and missing documents do not by themselves prevent submission. Relevant consumer protections include access, service quality, fair treatment, privacy, safety, accurate itemized bills and free complaint and redress procedures. The general RURA hotline is 3988, while transport complaints use 2222. The Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority, or Rwanda FDA, handles approval, safety monitoring, poor-quality reports, customer support and recalls for food, medicines, medical devices and cosmetics. The Rwanda Standards Board, or RSB, handles standards, metrology, testing, the S-Mark and mandatory requirements for standards, labels and packaging. RICA remains relevant for general market supervision, counterfeit goods and substandard products. A report should identify the product and seller and preserve the packaging, receipt, photographs and other evidence. Fraud belongs on a different enforcement path from an ordinary quality or contract dispute. Report suspected criminal fraud to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau, or RIB, through the nearest station, the Criminal Investigation Management System, known as CIMS, or hotline 166. Preserve receipts, chats, phone numbers, account details, payment records and advertisements. Pyramid, Ponzi, multi-level-marketing and crypto-investment schemes should not be treated as regulated financial service providers; the National Bank of Rwanda warns about such schemes and RIB investigates suspected offences. Multi-level marketing requires a licence. ADECOR Rwanda and other consumer associations may provide additional non-state assistance, but Rwanda has no single central consumer ombudsman established by the available evidence.