A high-level forum to help businesses better understand how mediation
The Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) has started venturing into alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as a way of reducing the current backlog of commercial court cases that remain unresolved.
According to the PSF Chairperson, Jeanne Francoise Mubiligi, this move is intended to improve business operations throughout the country and to align with the current trends of resolving business disputes in the country.
Figures from the Justice Sector show that since 2017, the overall number of cases in court (including commercial ones) has spiked from 237 to 2,445 in 2024, and these have reached 1,271 cases in the first five months of 2025.
The statistics show that through the mediation process, which started in July 2024, a total of 2,445 cases have been amicably resolved, and 230 of them (in the 2024/2025 Judicial Year) were commercial cases that were resolved through mediation by the Commercial Court. Since the start of this year, 146 of them have been resolved through mediation.
“Mediation is a better path to seeking justice to improve business relations instead of destroying them due to conflicts. We are ready to work with courts, especially the judiciary, to promote this initiative and practices,” Mubiligi said.
“In order to have a lasting business community, we need lasting peace and justice,” Mubiligi added.
PSF Chairperson, Jeanne Francoise Mubiligi
Mubiligi made these remarks on May 15, 2025, during a high-level forum to help businesses better understand how mediation can be used to solve labor and commercial disputes. The goal is to encourage the use of mediation to create a more stable and supportive environment for businesses.
The one-day meeting was officially opened by Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, President of the Supreme Court, who also stressed the importance of alternative dispute resolution, saying it is the best way to reduce court case backlogs and committed to supporting the private sector in attaining this goal.
Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa
“I would like to inform you that mediation provides a high level of confidence in resolving disputes. Therefore, the justice sector is ready to support the private sector, and we encourage the business community to seek alternative dispute resolution as a way of building investment and an economy based on peace and harmony,” Mukantaganzwa said.
High Court Judge and Judicial Spokesperson, Harrison Mutabazi, said that mediation currently plays a 10 percent role in resolving commercial court cases, thus there is a need to create more awareness of the existing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to further reduce the number of unresolved court cases.
Judicial Spokesperson, Harrison Mutabazi (left).
Former Supreme Court President, Sam Rugege, gave a keynote speech to the business community on the history, journey, and benefits of mediation in Rwanda. Rugege said that mediation has been seen in Rwanda even before colonial times with the gacaca systems, the abunzi model to sustain harmony among Rwandans, and the most recent being arbitration.
“You can craft your own solutions, express your feelings and ideas, but also do this in closed doors (privacy) and keep business secrets private, which is not the same case with courts where everything can be used against you and business information made public.
Former Supreme Court President, Sam Rugege (middle).
Using his experience, Rugege warned the business community to avoid court cases, stating that they are time-consuming and can go on for years, very stressful, and by using mediation, one can reduce the burden of stress.
“In court, it is the judge who has control over the final decision, while in mediation, you have control and can determine the outcomes of the decision,” Rugege noted.
Considering the Rwandan culture, Rugege said that the PSF has a lot of work ahead to increase the use of mediation, especially in business, to lower the number of court cases.
Diane Mukakalisa, the head of mediators in the Kamonyi district business community, said that while the mediation mechanisms exist, many of the PSF members are not aware of this, thus there is a need to increase mobilization efforts and awareness campaigns.
Diane Mukakalisa
“We still have a challenge of a poor mindset among business owners. When they have a conflict, they immediately think of going to courts as the only solution, but we want to change this by creating more cluster-based awareness,” Mukakalisa said.
Damascene Bonabandi, a Kayonza district businessman and mediator, said that while mediation is a good mechanism to resolve conflicts, businessmen and women should desist from bad business practices such as fraudulent dealings, which are currently propagating more conflicts.
Damascene Bonabandi
Other business owners believe that in order to further promote the path of mediation as an alternative conflict resolution, they should also engage the Rwanda Development Board and the Ministry of Trade, who are directly involved in the registration and authorization of businesses in Rwanda.
Sadate Munyakazi (2nd left), one of the youngest tycoons in Rwanda among other business owners at the event
