Rwanda’s Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, has assured the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) that all teams representing the country in international competitions will be held accountable and expected to deliver results. She emphasized that no team will receive public funds without demonstrating tangible outcomes.
Minister Mukazayire told PAC members that the Ministry of Sports (MINISPORTS) has taken measures to ensure that all government funds allocated to sports teams and activities are carefully monitored to achieve measurable results. She explained, “In discussions with all federations, we agreed not to release funds to unprepared teams or for activities without a clear, results-driven sports program.”
A report by Rwanda’s Auditor General for the 2022/2023 fiscal year highlighted that significant sums of money were allocated by MINISPORTS to federations to develop sports, yet many failed to deliver tangible results. PAC members also noted a lack of documentation tracking how these funds were spent.
Mukazayire stated that she and her team are working to reorganize the Ministry to ensure that public resources are properly utilized. She added, “If a program is not aimed at achieving results, we will not support it.”
She further explained that if a national team is found to be unprepared for a competition, it will not receive funding, effectively preventing participation. For example, last year, Rwanda’s U-17 football team was barred from participating in the CECAFA regional tournament due to inadequate preparation. To address this, the Ministry brought in a coach and added five overseas-based players to ensure the team would perform successfully.
While Rwanda has 30 sports federations, the Ministry works closely with 11 that demonstrate commitment and produce results. Mukazayire also noted that the country is investing in sports development at the youth level, starting from schools.
Additionally, she announced the launch of an inter-university competition for football, volleyball, and basketball, scheduled to begin next year.
