Kigali, October 10, 2025 Members of the association of leather product manufacturers from all districts of the country had gathered in Kigali to elect new leadership. However, the much-anticipated election was cancelled at the last minute, a decision announced by Twahirwa Christian, Director General of the Rwanda Trade, the National Agency for Trade Development.
In his speech, Mr. Twahirwa stated that the elections were postponed on behalf of the Ministry of Trade after consultations with the relevant institutions. He explained that the main reason was the lack of an approved manifesto to guide the association, which made it impossible for the elections to proceed.
He said: “A new budget will be prepared so the elections can resume. We thank the African Bank for the support it provided in promoting this sector.”
Members who attended the meeting expressed surprise at the decision, saying they had spent a month preparing for the elections, and had undergone five days of training prior, yet were never given the manifesto as required. They raised concerns about the management of the financial support, saying the money should have been invested in development tools rather than canceling long-prepared activities.
Some members of RLVCA and RAPROLEP who spoke to the Sound of Africa journalist said they were unhappy with the decision to postpone the elections, pointing out that they should have been informed earlier since the preparations forced them to halt other work.
One said “The fact that the elections didn’t take place today is a loss to the members, because in order for a member to attend, they had to sacrifice a lot. We all came here from different provinces, and once a new date is announced, we will have to return again. You can see it’s not an easy process and requires a lot.”
Another said: “Frankly, what is happening is nothing short of disorder it tarnishes the image of what we do. The government should step in. If there are others they want to bring in to lead us, we think it won’t work, especially since there is an association that exists only on paper and is not functional.”
This comes after elections held on April 22, 2025, were also annulled for unknown reasons. This is the second time elections have been organized and then cancelled, something some members say reflects poor management and a lack of leadership.
The sector had received a support fund of 1.5 billion Rwandan francs through a partnership between the Government of Rwanda and the African Development Bank, with the goal of promoting the sector and adding value to Rwandan leather, which has been praised internationally.
Hope had been renewed after President Paul Kagame, on April 30, 2022, stated that foreign countries had told him Rwandan leather is among the best in the world. He asked “What is missing for it to thrive?
Currently, a kilogram of leather is sold at between 100 and 200 Rwandan francs, while meat is sold at over 8,000 Rwandan francs per kilogram. This highlights the issue of the leather sector being undervalued, and the absence of proper governance structures.
Those working in the sector are calling for a thorough audit of the use of the funds provided, and for leadership with clear responsibilities to be put in place to protect their interests and ensure that Rwandan leather does not lose its value on the international market.
