The Capital Market Authority of Rwanda (CMA) has awarded an investment bank license to United Capital Financial Services Rwanda Ltd, a landmark move that brings one of Africa’s foremost financial institutions to Rwanda and signals the country’s growing prominence as the preferred gateway for continental capital into East and Central Africa.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Market Authority of Rwanda, Romeo Ngarambe noted that “When a pan-African institution of United Capital’s calibre and track record makes a deliberate choice to anchor its East and Central African operations in Kigali, it sends a signal that no ranking or report can replicate. It tells the world that Rwanda’s market is serious, our institutions are trusted, and our ambition is matched by execution.
This is the kind of conviction that changes the trajectory of capital markets and we intend to honour it by continuing to build a platform worthy of the best institutions Africa has to offer.”
United Capital Plc is a leading pan-African investment banking group with a distinguished track record spanning capital markets, corporate finance, asset management and structured finance across the continent.
With deep roots in West Africa and an expanding footprint in key financial centre, United Capital’s strategic decision to establish its East and Central African hub in Kigali is a powerful validation of Rwanda’s regulatory credibility, investment climate, and ambition to become a world-class financial centre.
Rwanda was selected as the institutional home for this expansion owing to its stable governance framework, robust legal infrastructure, ease of doing business, and its strategic geographic position at the crossroads of East and Central Africa, attributes that reflect the same standards United Capital applies in every market it enters.
This endorsement by an institution with continental presence, a diversified client base and a proven ability to structure and execute complex transactions demonstrates that Rwanda is increasingly the first port of call for institutions seeking a credible, well-governed and internationally recognized platform from which to access the full breadth of the East and Central African market.
Under its license, United Capital Financial Services Rwanda Ltd is authorized to deliver a full-spectrum suite of investment banking and capital markets services including corporate finance and capital mobilization, project and infrastructure finance structuring, trade and supply chain finance solutions, structured finance and asset-backed instruments, as well as trusteeship, capital markets advisory, and institutional capacity development.
The arrival of an institution of United Capital’s calibre and continental reach represents a defining moment for Rwanda’s capital markets. It expands the depth and sophistication of financial services available to issuers, investors and institutions across the region, while reinforcing Kigali’s standing as a credible and competitive international financial centre.
This development is fully aligned with Rwanda’s national strategy to build a dynamic, regionally connected financial sector capable of mobilizing long-term capital for infrastructure, industry and innovation and to cement Kigali’s position as the financial hub of choice for East and Central Africa.
