Rwanda’s disability rights organizations say the national budget remains inadequate to meet the needs of people with disabilities, despite progress in education and social protection.
The Association of Persons with Disabilities in Rwanda (AGHR) said on Thursday that government allocations for disability-related programs in the 2024/2025 fiscal year were still limited, particularly in infrastructure and health.
According to an AGHR study released August 28, funding for accessibility infrastructure in public buildings fell from 12% in 2023/2024 to 11% in the current fiscal year. While the government set aside Rwf 67.9 billion ($53 million) for housing and state property management projects benefiting people with disabilities, health allocations dropped from Rwf 19.6 billion to Rwf 18.6 billion.
In education, however, the group welcomed the government’s move to increase spending to Rwf 43.8 billion. Nationwide, districts allocated Rwf 505.9 billion to special-needs education in 2024/2025. The City of Kigali earmarked Rwf 32.5 billion for education, Rwf 9.7 billion for health, and about Rwf 1.9 billion for social protection programs targeting vulnerable residents with disabilities.
But health funding for districts fell sharply—from Rwf 2.7 billion last year to Rwf 787.8 million this year.
Faustin Renzaho, AGHR’s executive director, urged the government to strengthen accountability in how disability budgets are planned and spent.
“AGHR’s inspection of 24 institutions in Kigali revealed that accessibility standards remain very low, especially in schools, we ask that Rwanda’s construction laws be enforced, and that older public buildings also be upgraded so children with disabilities can access education without barriers.”
Other advocates echoed the concerns. Dr. Mukarwego Beth Nasiforo, chairperson of the National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR), said many districts still allocate too little for essential services such as assistive devices, schooling and training.
“People with disabilities have many needs,” she said. “When allocations are too low, many are left behind. The disability budget must be increased to ensure it actually reaches those who need it.”
Murwanashyaka Everaste, who led the AGHR study, said one of the main challenges is the lack of participation by persons with disabilities during national and district budget consultations.
“They are not adequately supported to take part, and there are no specific guidelines requiring their inclusion in budget planning,” he said. “Some districts receive large budgets but allocate as little as Rwf 12 million per year for disability programs.”
He added that the absence of a law obliging institutions to earmark disability budgets has made the issue easier to overlook.
Officials at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning acknowledged the concerns but emphasized that responsibility for inclusion lies across all government sectors.
“Funds specifically earmarked for disability programs are often fully spent, but disability is not the responsibility of one sector alone,” said Pascasie Mukarukundo, a ministry official in charge of budget policy and reforms. “Every sector—health, education, agriculture—must show how its allocations will address the needs of people with disabilities so that no one is left behind in national development.”
The ministry also noted that no government institution can receive a budget without showing how it will incorporate disability concerns.
Rwanda ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008 and is committed under the Sustainable Development Goals to ensuring inclusive education, decent work, and equal access to services by 2030. Disability groups say that while progress has been made, budget shortfalls risk slowing the country’s ability to meet those obligations.
