According to a Reuters analysis published on August 25, 2026, about 43% of global oil production is now linked to countries affected by conflict.
The situation has been worsened by the war involving Iran, alongside ongoing conflicts and disruptions in other major oil-producing countries, including Russia, Libya and Venezuela.
The developments have placed significant pressure on global oil supplies, refining capacity and fuel markets, raising concerns about higher energy prices and prolonged shortages.
The conflict involving Iran has particularly affected oil transportation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy shipping routes.
The waterway previously handled a significant share of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Although some oil continues to move through the region, the security risks have increased transportation costs and forced energy companies and governments to look for alternative routes.
The crisis is also affecting oil refining. Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have reduced Russia's refining capacity, while damage and disruptions in the Middle East have further tightened supplies of refined fuels.
Reuters reported that Russia has also restricted fuel exports because of domestic supply concerns, adding another layer of pressure to an already strained global market.
The impact is being felt beyond crude oil. Shortages of refined products such as diesel and gasoline have pushed fuel prices higher in several markets.
The International Energy Agency has responded by releasing emergency oil reserves in an effort to compensate for disrupted supplies.
However, global inventories have continued to decline, reducing the buffer available to protect consumers from further shocks.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major concern. Gulf countries have explored alternative routes and pipelines to reduce their dependence on the waterway, but building or expanding such infrastructure takes time.
Energy companies are also facing higher transportation and insurance costs because of the security risks surrounding major shipping routes.
The situation has already contributed to elevated oil prices and growing concerns about inflation.
If disruptions continue, analysts warn that the pressure could spread further through the global economy as higher energy costs raise transportation, manufacturing and consumer prices.
For countries that rely heavily on imported fuel, prolonged disruptions could be particularly challenging.
The crisis therefore represents more than a regional conflict. With around 43% of global oil production now connected to conflict-affected countries, instability in several major energy-producing regions has created an unusually fragile global oil market.
As the Iran war enters its sixth month, the ability of producers to maintain supplies and of governments to keep alternative energy routes open will be critical in determining how much longer the global energy market can withstand the pressure.
Nearly 43% of global oil production comes from conflict-affected countries.
Responding to a question about reports that Rwanda could acquire a stake in the refinery during a press conference in Kigali on Monday, President Kagame said discussions were still at an early stage and that it was too soon to provide further details.
'In a way, there has been. But it is too early to talk about the details, because I think it is a work in progress. Things are still being thought out,' Kagame said during the press conference at the Kigali Convention Centre.
'But what I can say is that Rwanda would be very happy to be part of that kind of investment.'
His remarks follow reports that the Nigerian businessman is seeking regional partners for a major refinery project planned for Kenya's northern coast.
Dangote has reportedly offered East African countries a combined 30 percent equity stake in the project, with Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia among the countries reported to have expressed interest.
According to reports, Kenya could take a 10 percent stake worth about $500 million, while the combined regional stake would be valued at approximately $1.5 billion.
The refinery is planned for Lamu and is expected to have a processing capacity of up to 700,000 barrels per day, potentially making it one of Africa's largest refining facilities.
The refinery itself is estimated to cost up to $16 billion, while the broader petrochemical complex and additional port infrastructure could bring the total investment to around $20 billion.
If completed, the project could help reduce East Africa's dependence on imported refined petroleum products and strengthen the region's energy security by creating a major source of fuel closer to regional markets.
President Kagame did not provide details on the size of a potential Rwandan investment or the stage of the discussions, stressing that the plans were still being considered.
Responding to a question about reports that Rwanda could acquire a stake in the refinery during a press conference in Kigali on Monday, President Kagame said discussions were still at an early stage and that it was too soon to provide further details.President Paul Kagame said Rwanda would be 'very happy' to participate in the project.
Speaking during a press conference at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday, Kagame said Rwanda's security concerns over the FDLR have persisted for about three decades and will continue to shape the country's involvement in the regional conflict as long as the armed group remains a threat.
'Rwanda's problem has always been the FDLR in Congo. I can repeat it a hundred times,' Kagame said.
'And if this problem of FDLR is not resolved, of course Rwanda will always remain involved as part of this problem. There are no two ways about it.'
President Kagame was responding to a question about a recently reported Congolese protocol for the disarmament, demobilisation and cantonment of FDLR fighters, which Kinshasa said was part of its commitments under the Washington peace agreement. Rwanda has rejected the arrangement as inconsistent with the agreement. The United States, which brokered the deal, has said the DRC must neutralise the FDLR as part of its commitments under the Washington Accords.
The journalist asked whether Rwanda viewed the initiative as the neutralisation process envisaged under the agreement or as a political manoeuvre.
Kagame said efforts to resolve the FDLR issue had been ongoing for decades, involving the United Nations, the United States, European countries, African states and other actors, but had failed to address the root causes of the problem.
'The handling and the mishandling of this problem over many years is known. The actors are known,' he remarked
He argued that successive efforts had focused on superficial aspects of the crisis rather than addressing its underlying causes.
The Head of State also rejected arguments that Rwanda uses the FDLR, formed by individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, as a justification for its involvement in eastern DRC.
'If you don't want Rwanda, if nobody keeps saying Rwanda, Rwanda, Rwanda, and doesn't want Rwanda to have anything to say in this, why don't you remove this problem and see whether Rwanda is using it as an excuse?' he posed.
'We will do anything that contributes to that protection'
Kagame said Rwanda's approach would be guided first by the need to protect itself, while also seeking to avoid giving its adversaries opportunities to threaten the country.
'We behave in a manner that protects us at any cost. We will do anything that contributes to that protection, day or night,' he stressed.
'There are no two ways about it; that one we will, no question.'
He added that Rwanda would seek to act responsibly while protecting its interests.
'We will do what is right to protect ourselves, and we will do it without fear, favour, day or night, any time,' Kagame said.
President Kagame also maintained that Rwanda's desire for peace remained central to its approach to the regional crisis.
'We want peace to the point that we are ready to fight for it. And that's our main goal. We want peace, and we want to work with others to have peace,' he said.
His remarks came as he questioned the effectiveness of international efforts to address the conflict in eastern DRC, including the use of sanctions.
Kagame argued that sanctions had created additional problems rather than resolving the underlying conflict.
'Instead of sanctioning FDLR or those who work with them or support them, they sanction those who fight them. I don't understand the logic,' he noted.
He also questioned the failure to address the origins of the conflict involving various armed groups in eastern DRC, including AFC/M23.
Kagame said Rwanda would continue working with other countries on peace efforts while maintaining its own security as a priority.
'We are happy to do that, I think. It is a pleasure to do the hardest task to protect ourselves. That's what it is,' he said.
Speaking during a press conference at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday, Kagame said Rwanda's security concerns over the FDLR have persisted for about three decades and will continue to shape the country's involvement in the regional crisis as long as the armed group remains a threat.
Kagame made the remarks during a press conference on August 24, 2026, in response to a journalist's question about the fate of factories that had been shut down and their employees as authorities intensified a nationwide campaign against alcoholic beverages that fail to meet required standards.
He said the debate should begin with evidence of the harm caused by the products rather than claims or perceptions surrounding the crackdown.
'On the issue of substandard alcoholic drinks, we should not base our conclusions only on what people say. People can say all kinds of things depending on their perceptions or what they want others to believe,' Kagame said.
'We should also look at what is happening in reality and at the evidence before us.'
Rwanda has stepped up enforcement against illicit and substandard alcoholic beverages in recent weeks.
In Kigali alone, authorities have closed over 30 factories and businesses found to be operating outside required standards, while thousands of litres of ethanol and large quantities of alcoholic beverages have been seized.
The crackdown has also resulted in the arrest of public officials suspected of facilitating the production or distribution of non-compliant drinks.
But Kagame said the government's starting point should remain the impact of the products on people's health.
'There are substandard drinks that have caused deaths. That is where we should begin our discussion,' he said.
'The question is simple: Do these drinks kill people? Have they killed people? If the answer is yes, then that is where we should start.'
Kagame said the scale of the deaths should not be underestimated, arguing that the problem goes beyond isolated cases.
'People are dying, and in significant numbers,' he said. 'If you follow the news, you will know that it is not simply a matter of two people dying today and another person dying tomorrow.'
'People die in groups of 20, 30, 50, and sometimes as many as 100 in a single day. When you add up the number of people who die over a year, you begin to understand the scale of the problem.'
The President rejected arguments that the crackdown should be weighed primarily against the factories and jobs involved in the alcoholic beverage industry.
'Before we talk about factories and the workers employed in them, we must first address the health and lives of these people,' he said.
'Do we want workers who will ultimately be killed by the products made in those factories?'
Instead, he said, the objective should be to have businesses that operate safely and workers who can return home without being exposed to products that harm consumers.
Kagame also pointed to the fact that not all harmful alcoholic beverages consumed in Rwanda are necessarily produced domestically.
'The harmful drinks that are killing people are not necessarily all manufactured here or originating here. Some come from outside the country. They are brought in without meeting quality standards, and they end up killing people,' he said.
He added that the effects of unsafe products can vary, with some causing immediate harm while others may contribute to health problems that emerge much later.
'Some kill people the same day or within the same week. Others may cause harm that becomes apparent after a year. They can slowly damage a person's health until the person eventually dies,' Kagame said.
The President also questioned how protecting businesses could be used to justify practices that expose consumers to potentially fatal products.
'I do not understand how anyone could support such practices while arguing that they are thinking about factories and the people working in them, while ignoring those who are being killed day after day, as we see and as we know,' he said.
He said the government's responsibility extends beyond individual producers to the institutions charged with regulating businesses and enforcing quality standards.
'But beyond the individual who produces something that kills people, we must also ask how the country is governed. Can a country simply watch its people die? What kind of society would that be?' Kagame said.
'That is why there are institutions and officials responsible for quality standards and enforcement. They are there to ensure that activities and products do not harm people, but instead contribute to improving people's lives.'
His comments come amid ongoing crackdown that has also targeted alleged regulatory failures, with Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) presenting 18 public servants on August 13, including Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) Director General Prof. Emile Bienvenu and 10 employees, alongside officials from the Rwanda Standards Board and local government.
RIB said 104 people had been arrested since July 20, with 97 case files submitted to prosecutors.
Investigations include alleged improper licensing and certification, while five local officials are accused of helping factory operators evade inspections.
More than 150 factories have since been closed, with Kigali authorities seizing over 470,000 litres of ethanol and nearly four million bottles of substandard alcoholic beverages.
Health authorities say more than 500 people have been treated, over 50 have died and more than 100 have reportedly suffered vision loss.
Kagame said such allegations should be investigated and those responsible given an opportunity to explain themselves.
'Those involved will have an opportunity to explain themselves when they are investigated and held accountable. They will have to provide the answers,' he said.
He also acknowledged that the conduct of enforcement agencies should itself be subject to scrutiny where necessary.
'If there are concerns about how these processes are carried out, how people are arrested or how they are investigated, those concerns can also be examined. If there is a problem, it may need to be addressed,' he said.
However, he cautioned against allowing such concerns to overshadow the wider public health problem.
'If some institutions are not doing their work as they should, they must be held accountable and corrected. But that should not distract us from confronting the bigger problem that is harming and killing people.'
Kagame further linked the alcohol crackdown to a broader responsibility to confront substances that pose risks to public health, saying Rwanda had also been discussing the growing use and promotion of other harmful substances.
'A country cannot simply watch its people die and say that no one should ask questions. Someone must ask why people are dying,' he said.
He maintained that consumers have a right to access products they need, but businesses and individuals must comply with the law and ensure that what they produce or bring into the country does not put lives at risk.
'As a leader of this country, I have to look at what is best for the country and its people and work with them so that they understand what serves their interests and what does not,' Kagame said.
'Those who want to break the law simply because they want to do things their own way and put their personal interests first will have to face the authorities responsible for enforcing the law.'
President Kagame said Rwanda's crackdown on substandard alcoholic beverages must prioritise the lives and health of consumers over the interests of factories and their workers.
Kagame made the remarks during a press conference on August 24, 2026, while responding to concerns raised by a journalist about shortages and service challenges affecting some areas.
Rwanda has made significant progress in expanding access to basic services in recent years.
According to Rwanda's Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7), household electricity access increased from 34% in 2017 to 72% in 2024, with rural access rising sharply from 24% to 65%.
Access to improved drinking water also increased from 87% to 90% over the same period.
Kagame said Rwanda's current situation is different from where the country started, but acknowledged that the demand for services continues to outpace available resources.
'You mentioned where we started from, and I think the situation we have today is different from what it was then. I think there are investments that need to be made. But as I said when answering another question, there are many things we want to do.'
Kagame said limited resources remain one of the constraints, particularly as the country seeks to expand access to essential services such as water and electricity.
'But the resources we have are not equal to all those needs. We are always looking for ways to increase those resources, whether it is for water or electricity.'
However, he said not every challenge can be attributed to a lack of resources, arguing that some improvements could be achieved through more efficient management of what is already available.
'As for some of the other things you mentioned, they do not necessarily require some completely different or extraordinary resources. They require us to efficiently use what we already have. There are also things that can be done by individuals or jointly with the government. They are within our capacity, but sometimes they are not done as they should be.'
The President called for stronger follow-up and accountability, saying the government should not use resource constraints as an explanation for failing to address problems that are within its existing capacity to solve.
'We cannot always have an excuse for not doing what we already have the capacity to do, because there are many things we are capable of doing but which are not being done.'
Kagame said the government should continue looking for resources to address areas where its existing capacity is insufficient, while also speeding up interventions where solutions are already possible.
'For the things we do not have the capacity to do, we should look for the resources. And where it is possible to move faster, that is what we want.'
He described water and electricity challenges as issues that require continuous attention, stressing the importance of having people responsible for delivering projects properly and on time.
'These are challenges that continue over the years, but we have to keep finding people who can do things properly and on time, using the resources available. And where resources are not available, there are ways of continuing to look for them.'
Kagame also linked the quality of public services to how citizens assess their leaders and the government, saying people ultimately have the right to demand answers when problems that could have been addressed remain unresolved.
'That is how Rwandans measure whether their leaders are serving them properly, or whether their government is serving them properly. When the time comes, we pay for it. And if there are things that could have been done better, citizens will ask us why we did not do enough when it was possible.'
He said citizens should also play a role in holding leaders accountable.
'They have their time as well. They also need to have a role in it and hold us accountable.'
President Paul Kagame addressing members of the press on August 24, 2026. Rwanda is implementing projects that will increase daily treated water production from more than 367,000 cubic meters this year to over 688,000 cubic meters per day by 2029
Speaking during a press conference at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday, President Kagame said Rwanda had never made such a commitment to Burundi.
'There is no commitment we ever made that we did not fulfil, not with the President of Burundi, not with anybody,' Kagame said, adding that perhaps Ndayishimiye had 'dreamt and thought it had happened.'
Ndayishimiye, in an interview with BBC Gahuzamiryango in July 2026, said Burundi was still waiting for Rwanda to fulfil what the two countries had agreed upon. When asked to specify the matter, he said it concerned the transfer to Bujumbura of individuals accused of attempting to overthrow Nkurunziza in May 2015.
Kagame said he was unaware of any meeting or agreement in which Rwanda had committed to handing over the suspects.
The Head of State accused Ndayishimiye of being dishonest, recounting a conversation the two leaders had following reports that Burundi had deployed troops to North Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kagame said Rwanda's intelligence services had informed him about the deployment, prompting him to call Ndayishimiye to seek clarification. He also raised concerns over reports linking Burundi to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), as well as earlier incursions into Rwanda by armed groups operating from Burundi, including the FLN.
According to Kagame, Ndayishimiye strongly denied that Burundian forces had been deployed to North Kivu and urged him to cross-check the information, suggesting that those who had provided the reports were attempting to cause problems.
'I said, President, I will take your word, much as I think the reports I received were credible, but I will take your word for it,' Kagame said.
However, Kagame said the reports were subsequently confirmed when Burundian soldiers were captured in North Kivu by AFC/M23 fighters.
'A couple of weeks after, they were captured in the north of Kivu,' he remarked.
Kagame said he therefore did not know what commitment or meeting Ndayishimiye was referring to when he claimed Rwanda had failed to honour an agreement regarding the 2015 coup suspects.
Rwanda has in the past said it cannot hand over the persons linked to the coup because they are refugees protected under international law.
Speaking during a press conference at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday, President Kagame said Rwanda had never made such a commitment to Burundi.
KoraLink sets out to close that gap by working through young people from within the communities themselves. Agents in the programme sell essential health products and bring them closer to the people who need them, while earning an income and building their own livelihoods in the process.
KoraLink is a collaborative partnership between the Mastercard Foundation, The Commons Project Foundation Africa (TCP Africa), Society for Family Health Rwanda (SFH Rwanda) and ICT Chamber. It aims to help financially disadvantaged youth into self-employment while using technology to bring essential health products and services, including malaria prevention, HIV and STI prevention, and hygiene products, closer to the underserved communities where they live. It focuses on people aged 18 to 35, particularly women and those in rural parts of Rwanda.
Agents are trained on the product knowledge, on basic business management, and on the programme's app, the KoraLink Marketplace.
They start with an interest-free investment of Rwf360,000, released in installments and repaid progressively into a sustainability fund that supports new agents as the programme expands. Through the Marketplace, they order stock, track inventory, and manage transactions in a digital wallet designed to encourage saving.
Young people turning opportunities into livelihoods
In Ngarama Sector, Gatsibo District, 27-year-old Bamurere Sylvie says KoraLink gave her a way into business. She heard about it through the Ngarama Sector youth platform, applied, later invited for an interview, was selected, and onboarded. Within her first three months, she says, she had earned Rwf58,000 in profit.
That income gave her the means to think beyond selling. 'I have a goal of becoming a livestock farmer. I love keeping livestock, and I want to be a businesswoman, farmer and livestock farmer,' she said.
In Rugarama Sector, Gatsibo District, 26-year-old Niyokwizera Isaac started with a capital of Rwf50,000. He would buy products, sell them, and reinvest the proceeds, building his capital up until he could now order stock worth as much as Rwf200,000. He has also put his profits into nearly a hectare of farmland, buying fertiliser and preparing for the maize season.
For Bamurere and Niyokwizera, the health products are a stepping stone to earn and improve their livelihoods. But the work has a second purpose: reaching people who live far from the markets and services that urban areas take for granted.
Bringing the market closer to the community
In rural areas, agents also have to introduce products people may not be used to, and work against the stigma attached to buying some of them, condoms in particular. Often that means going to where people are.
Because many community members are not active on social media, agents go to markets, homes, and other gathering places to explain the products and make them available, so people can get them without waiting for market day or travelling long distances.
Twenty-five-year-old Shakira Mwiza works this way in Rwimiyaga Sector. She began by selling KoraLink products in her neighbourhood, actively engaging community members, with many of them being students at a nearby school who buy sanitary pads from her. She then used the profits to buy a computer for Rwf180,000 and started offering digital services. The Rwimiyaga Sector administration gave her space to work from the sector offices, sparing her rent while keeping her accessible to the community.
Sam Gatunge, Executive Secretary of Rwimiyaga Sector, said the sector will continue work with the agents and to see them reach more people and widen their range of products. 'You are helping people access clean water, contributing to the fight against teenage pregnancies and preventing sexually transmitted diseases,' he said.
Getting products where they are needed
KoraLink's products include condoms, sanitary pads, water-treatment sachets such as Sur'Eau, and other essentials. For Jeannine Uwiringiyimana, an agent in Nyagatare District, the value of that is clearest for someone with no market nearby. 'In some rural areas, major markets where you can find everything may only open once or twice a week. Think of a girl in Nyagatare who needs services like these; how will she access them?' she said.
The harder part, she says, is perception. 'Although these products are things people need in their daily lives, it is still difficult because someone who wants condoms may feel embarrassed. Sometimes, we who provide them are also called unpleasant names. But that does not discourage us,' she said.
The same holds for something as ordinary as sanitary pads. In some areas women still travel long distances to buy them, and others would rather buy from a shop than from someone they know. Part of the agents' work is making these products easy, and comfortable, to get close to home.
Winning community trust
Active agents are issued a programme ID and a branded vest so communities can recognise them. Onboarding also prepares them to explain the products, correct misconceptions, and handle the discomfort that can come with selling health items, condoms especially.
From there, much of the work is agent-led. With local leaders helping to open doors and lend credibility, agents introduce themselves and the programme directly to their communities: through community dialogues (inteko z'abaturage) and umuganda, market-day engagements (umunsi w'isoko), radio shows, and JADF Open Days. The aim is for agents to become known and trusted, so that getting an essential health product becomes a normal part of community life rather than something people feel embarrassed to seek out.
A growing programme
KoraLink began recruitment in Musanze and Nyagatare in August 2025 with about 79 agents. It now runs in 11 districts with 2,278 agents, with ongoing recruitment that aims to reach all 30 Districts in Rwanda. By 2028 the programme expects to contribute to 41,122 direct and indirect jobs, including 11,762 agents, with women making up nearly 80 per cent of them and 70 per cent drawn from rural areas.
Dr. Richard Gakuba, Executive Secretary of TCP Africa, says the programme was built to solve two problems at once. 'When we started designing this programme together with our partners, we wanted to address the issue of unemployment for youth but also find a solution to the challenge of getting essential health products to hard to reach communities,' he said.
In the next phase of the implementation, the programme intends to expand into new districts and take on last-mile delivery of a wider product range, while organising agents into savings and investment groups, setting up sector-level KoraLink hubs, and coaching them toward gig work where KoraLink Agents can earn additional income.
KoraLink agents take health products directly to communities, helping residents access essentials without travelling long distances to major markets.With 2,278 agents now operating across 11 districts, KoraLink is expanding its network of young entrepreneurs bringing essential health products closer to rural communities.Through the KoraLink Marketplace, young agents can order stock, track inventory and manage transactions while serving their communities.KoraLink is creating opportunities for young people to earn an income while helping underserved communities access essential health products.KoraLink agents use community gatherings, markets and other local spaces to introduce residents to products available through the programme.KoraLink agents are helping turn last-mile access to essential health products into an income-generating opportunity for young people.Local engagement is central to KoraLink's approach, with agents building trust through community dialogues, markets and other public gatherings.KoraLink is creating opportunities for young people to earn an income while helping underserved communities access essential health products.
The figure translates to about 844 new cases every month and 11,241 over the 12-month period, highlighting continued challenges in controlling the HIV epidemic in the city.
The study reviewed 649,570 people who were tested for HIV at various health facilities across Kampala during the period.
Women accounted for 64 percent of those tested, while men made up the remaining 36 percent. People aged between 20 and 24 constituted the largest proportion of those who underwent testing.
However, women also accounted for the majority of newly identified HIV-positive cases, at 62 percent, compared with 38 percent among men. The largest share of new positive cases was recorded among people aged between 30 and 39.
Dr. Douglas Tuhumwire, KCCA's care and treatment lead, said the authority suspects several factors could be contributing to the rise in new cases, including unregulated sexual activity in massage parlours, spas and lodges, domestic violence, inequalities and sexual behaviour influenced by digital and social media.
He said the suspected factors require further investigation to establish their contribution to the increase.
The findings were presented during the 2026 Kampala HIV/TB Stakeholders' Meeting, where health officials and other partners renewed calls for stronger HIV prevention efforts, particularly among young people.
Josephine Kalebei, executive director of Reach Out Mbuya Community Health Initiative, described the trend as 'very scary' and stressed that prevention remains critical as funding for HIV programmes declines.
'We are calling upon every actor to take the issue of prevention seriously because since these children have grown up in the era where we have medication, they are neither worried nor aware of the dangers of HIV,' she said.
Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo called for stronger coordination among government agencies and development partners involved in the HIV response. He also urged residents to regularly test for HIV to help guide prevention and treatment efforts.
The study further found that Kampala has not yet achieved the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. About 88 percent of people living with HIV know their status, while 78 percent of those who know their status are on treatment. However, 97.5 percent of people receiving treatment have achieved viral suppression.
A health worker draws blood from a man to test for HIV in Kampala. Uganda's capital, Kampala, recorded an average of 211 new HIV-positive cases every week between July 2025 and June 2026, according to a study by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
The celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on achievements, celebrate Rwandan cultural values and renew a commitment to contributing to Rwanda's development.
Blaise Bizimana, President of the Rwandan community in Utah, highlighted some of the key initiatives the community has undertaken, including contributing to the Dusangire Lunch programme and paying community-based health insurance premiums for 1,000 residents of Nyagatare District.
Bizimana thanked the Government of Rwanda, particularly President Paul Kagame, as well as the Rwandan Embassy in the United States, for the leadership and support provided to Rwandans living abroad.
The more than 500 Rwandans living in Utah also expressed interest in hosting Rwanda Day and submitted a letter to the Rwandan Embassy formally requesting to host the event.
Godfrey Gasasira, First Counsellor at the Rwandan Embassy in the United States, who represented Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana at the celebrations, commended the community for organising the Umuganura event and inviting the Embassy to join them.
Gasasira reminded participants that Umuganura is an annual occasion to celebrate the fruits of collective efforts and achievements, while also providing an opportunity to set new goals and make fresh commitments towards building Rwanda.
'Umuganura holds great significance in Rwanda's history. It is a day to celebrate the fruits of everything we have accomplished. The Umuganura ceremony is a step towards building the Rwanda we want,' he said.
Using economic data, Gasasira highlighted Rwanda's continued economic growth and emphasised the contribution of Rwandans living abroad to the country's development.
In 2025, remittances sent to Rwanda by members of the diaspora reached $640 million, an increase of 27% compared with 2024. The funds support families and contribute to education, healthcare, businesses and other sectors of the economy.
He also noted that the diaspora's contribution goes beyond sending money home. It includes attracting investors and tourists, promoting Rwandan culture and representing Rwanda positively abroad.
Participants were encouraged to remember that every Rwandan, whether living in Rwanda or abroad, has a responsibility and role to play in building the Rwanda they want.
The celebrations featured traditional Rwandan dances and a performance depicting the history and significance of Umuganura, entertaining and engaging the participants.
Members of the Rwandan community in Utah have celebrated Umuganura through traditional performances and cultural activities.The President of Rwandan community in Utah Blaise Bizimana addresses participants during the Umuganura celebration.More than 300 people attended Umuganura celebration organised by the Rwandan community in Utah.First Counsellor at the Rwandan Embassy in the United States Godfrey Gasasira addresses the Rwandan community during Umuganura celebrations in Utah.
The budget was approved during the league's regular pre-season meeting held on Sunday, August 23, at Four Points by Sheraton in Kigali, bringing together representatives of all 16 member clubs.
The Rwf1,280,055,000 budget represents an increase of about Rwf480 million compared to the Rwf800 million budget approved for the 2025/26 season during the league's General Assembly in November 2025.
The meeting also adopted regulations governing the participation of Sudanese teams Al Hilal and Al Merrikh as guest clubs in the BK Pro League following the disruption of domestic football caused by the war in Sudan.
Under the approved regulations, a Sudanese team that finishes at the top of the league standings will receive an Honorary Trophy, while the official BK Pro League Champions Trophy will go to the highest-ranked Rwandan team.
The Sudanese teams will, however, be eligible for match-winning bonuses in line with the approved regulations and budget. Their players will also be eligible to compete for individual awards, from Player of the Match to Player of the Year, on the same basis as their Rwandan counterparts.
The league further set limits on the number of non-Sudanese players the guest teams can use. Sudanese clubs will be allowed to field a maximum of six non-Sudanese players at any one time and register up to eight on a matchday squad.
The resolutions come as the Rwanda Premier League and its member clubs finalise preparations for the start of the 2026/27 season.
The Rwanda Premier League, which organises the BK Pro League, has approved a Rwf1.28 billion budget for the 2026/27 season, a significant increase from the Rwf800 million approved for the previous campaign.
