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By Annonciata Byukusenge
During a study tour in Rwanda, staff from Transparency International chapters implementing the ISDA project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe were surprised to discover that Rwanda’s government actively collaborates with Transparency International, something they said does not exist in their home countries.
This reaction came after they visited Rwanda’s Northern Province on the 25th of August, 2025, where they toured Ruhengeri Hospital to observe how citizens receive services. They later joined a community town hall meeting in Cyuve Sector.
Mialisoa Randriamampianina, a participant from Madagascar, said what she witnessed in Rwanda is something she hopes to see back home because cooperation between the government and transparency organizations speeds up efforts to eradicate corruption.
“It is impressive to see an ordinary citizen stand up and share a concern, and the local leaders immediately work with Transparency International to address it on the spot. In my country, citizens do not have such opportunities. Even a simple issue can take up to two years without anyone stepping in to help, mainly because our government and transparency organizations do not collaborate.” Said Mialisoa.
The positive cooperation between Rwanda’s government and Transparency International was also highlighted by Paul Banoba, Transparency International’s Regional Coordinator for Africa.
“The corruption picture in Africa is that the public sector dominates, but regional pictures are different. For example: peace and security. Rwanda and Botswana are advanced.”
He added that Rwanda is advanced in various aspects, like how it has achieved zero tolerance for corruption, and the community is open to asking about corruption, as we saw yesterday in the community dialogue in the Musanze district.
Dr. Bruce Gashema, a researcher at Transparency International Rwanda, said the purpose of the study tour is for countries to learn from each other so they can implement new anti-corruption approaches.
“Where possible, they adopt what they learn from other countries. In Rwanda, there are areas where we no longer need strong advocacy because corruption has drastically reduced in those services. For example, petty bribery on the roads is no longer a major issue we campaign against; if it happens, it is due to an individual’s misconduct, not systemic failure.” Said Dr. Gashema.
He added that the visitors were amazed that Rwanda completed a national land registration system, something they believe would be extremely difficult in their own countries due to a lack of unity and coordination.
Challenges
However, some challenges persist, particularly attitudes among citizens, local leaders, and some influential figures.
“There was an institution where we introduced a suggestion box, and the director destroyed it. This shows that there is a long way to go in educating people, because such a leader might fear exposing poor service delivery or simply not understand that citizens and staff have the right to give feedback.”
The ISDA project responds to the core development challenges linked to the impact of corruption and impunity on access to education and healthcare services by addressing gender- and corruption-related barriers and contributing to increased access to public services. ISDA is being implemented in five African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, and seeks to improve access to education and healthcare service delivery, particularly for women, girls, and other groups at risk of discrimination, by addressing corruption-related barriers.
