KIGALI — The Special Guarantee Fund (SGF) is pursuing more than Rwf5.6 billion from hundreds of suspects including foreigners, who caused road accidents while uninsured, Parliament has been told.
Nibakure Florence, the Acting Director General of SGF, revealed this while appearing before the Chamber of Deputies’ Committee on Governance, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment to discuss issues raised in the Office of the Ombudsman’s 2024/2025 activity report and the 2025/2026 action plan.
Nibakure explained that SGF’s mandate requires the Fund to first compensate victims of road accidents involving uninsured vehicles, before recovering the money from the responsible vehicle owners.
However, she noted that recovery is often complicated by ownership disputes, particularly when the driver involved is not the actual owner of the vehicle.
“In such situations, investigations are conducted until the real owner is identified and held accountable for the amount paid to victims,” she said.
According to Nibakure, when owners fail to refund the compensation due to financial incapacity, the law permits SGF to auction the offending vehicle. Even then, the proceeds are not always sufficient to cover the debt.
She disclosed that SGF is currently dealing with 807 suspects, including 76 foreigners, whose vehicles were seized and sold through public auction.
Despite these efforts, the Fund is still owed Rwf341,762,822, as the auctioned vehicles did not generate enough money to fully settle the compensation paid to victims.
Nibakure also highlighted motorcycles as the leading contributors to road accidents, noting that many riders flee the scene after causing crashes, further complicating recovery efforts.
Detailed breakdown of outstanding recoveries:
*807 suspects collectively owe Rwf2,333,107,056;
*37 individuals whose identities have been established are being prepared for notification letters, owing Rwf102,035,993;
* 569 suspects who have already received demand letters owe Rwf1,668,745,651;
* 451 cases have been handed over to lawyers for preparation of court cases, involving Rwf1,418,565,456;
* 50 individuals have signed repayment agreements and owe Rwf128,740,828; and
* 4 deceased suspects are being followed up through their families for Rwf28,342,880.
In total, SGF is seeking to recover **more than Rwf5.6 billion from uninsured accident perpetrators, money that has already been used to compensate victims.
Nibakure emphasized that strengthening enforcement of compulsory motor insurance and improving road safety—especially among motorcyclists—would significantly reduce the burden on the Fund and help protect accident victims more effectively.
Primary Reporting by: Ernestine Musanabera
