Africa-Press – Rwanda. Despite playing a key role in delivering essential services, Rwanda’s National Post Office (NPO) continues to operate in a legal grey zone—without a dedicated governing law to guide its operations, strategy, or modernisation efforts.
While the institution remains active and self-sustaining, lawmakers and postal leaders have raised concerns about the impact of this legal vacuum on effective management, accountability, and the Post Office’s future relevance.
Speaking during a recent parliamentary session on the state of the national postal service, MP Deogratias Bizimana Minani didn’t mince words.
“One of the biggest challenges facing Rwanda Post is the absence of a governing law, which complicates its management,” he said. “A dedicated legal framework is urgently needed to ensure effective leadership and operations.”
The postal sector is still regulated by a law dating back to 1992, with only partial updates made in 2013. Comprehensive reforms have stalled, partly due to ongoing efforts to attract private investment and redefine the NPO’s structure.
Is Postal service still relevant in 2025?
As Rwanda pushes ahead with digital transformation, the relevance of traditional postal services has come under scrutiny. Once a central pillar of communication, the Post Office now competes with digital alternatives that promise instant delivery and efficiency.
Still, some government officials argue that a modernised postal service can play a critical role in national development.
“Digital transformation doesn’t mean the end of postal services,” said MP Solange Uwingabe. “What we need is a strategic direction and modernisation. Even in some developed countries, traditional services like sending birthday cards remain popular.”
Celestin Kayitare, Director General of the NPO, told The New Times that the institution has significantly diversified its services and now operates independently of the national budget.
“We are among the few public institutions no longer reliant on government funding,” Kayitare said. “By the end of this fiscal year, we expect to generate at least Rwf 94 million from our services.”
Today, Rwanda’s Post Office offers a growing list of services beyond mail delivery—bill payments, airtime top-ups, electricity purchases, banking via Postal Checking Accounts (CCP), currency exchange, and virtual postal addresses through the ePoBox system, which links postal addresses to phone numbers.
Legal gap slows innovation
Despite these advances, the lack of a modern legal framework continues to hold the NPO back, especially in long-term planning and investment.
Kayitare said the postal law is under revision as part of broader sector reforms. The new legislation is expected to reflect an updated governance model, private sector participation, and new financial strategies.
“We’re waiting for an investor to bring in energy and resources,” he said. “That’s one reason the legal update has taken time—it needs to accommodate the future structure.”
Currently, the NPO’s turnover stands at Rwf 1.19 billion, and new revenue streams, such as a postal payment system integrated with Airtel and MTN networks, are under development.
Toward autonomy and innovation
Kayitare also revealed ongoing talks aimed at transforming the Post Office into a fully autonomous, modern institution by the end of 2025. This includes plans for privatization and enhanced resource mobilization.
“The goal is to reshape the Post Office into an independent entity that meets the demands of today’s economy,” he said. “We still work with international postal networks to deliver packages, letters, newspapers, and books—proving that demand for traditional services hasn’t disappeared.”
As one of 15 public institutions recognised for generating income without state funding, Rwanda’s NPO is carving a new role for itself: not as a relic of the past, but as a flexible, tech-adaptable player in the country’s evolving service landscape.
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