Rwanda: Law N° 59/2017 governing radiation protection
Rwanda's 2018 radiation protection law gives the utilities regulator (RURA) independent authority to regulate and authorise ionising-radiation activities. It contains no reactor-specific licensing sequence; RURA's 2024 nuclear installation licensing regulation is made under it. A comprehensive nuclear law was still being drafted in March 2026.
- Category
- Laws, rules and executive directives
- Status
- In effect
- Instrument
- statute · Law N° 59/2017 of 24/01/2018 governing radiation protection; Official Gazette n° Special of 25/01/2018; in force on publication (Article 37)
- Issued by
- Parliament of Rwanda; promulgated by the President of the Republic
- Jurisdiction
- Rwanda
- Affects
- National reactor licensing
- In effect from
- 25 Jan 2018 · actual · day
- Expiry or completion
- None recorded
- Operative text
- RURA: Law N° 59/2017 of 24/01/2018 governing radiation protection (Official Gazette n° Special of 25/01/2018) (Official Gazette n° Special of 25/01/2018 (English column))
- Record reviewed · next review
- 2026-10-18 · 2027-04-18 (dates our review of this record; not a statement of the measure's present legal effect)
Legal and geographic scope
Statute governing the use, management and regulation of ionising-radiation activities, including the production, possession, use, import, export, transport and handling of radiation sources and the management of radioactive waste from civilian applications (Articles 1-2). The Regulatory Authority is the authority in charge of regulation of utilities or another authority established by law (Article 3(22)); it performs radiation-protection regulation independently and grants authorisations (Articles 4-6). The law contains no reactor-specific licensing sequence; the regulator's 2024 nuclear installation licensing regulation is made with this law as 'the Law'.
Not approved or still pending
Rwanda had not completed a comprehensive nuclear law: a March 2026 IAEA review, as reported by NucNet, found drafting in progress and recommended completing the review of legislation. Later amendments to this law were not checked.
Dated lifecycle
- 24 Jan 2018 · actual · day · Signed (RURA: Law N° 59/2017 of 24/01/2018 governing radiation protection (Official Gazette n° Special of 25/01/2018))
- 25 Jan 2018 · actual · day · Published — Official Gazette n° Special; in force on publication (Article 37). (RURA: Law N° 59/2017 of 24/01/2018 governing radiation protection (Official Gazette n° Special of 25/01/2018))
Related instruments
Projects or designs named by the source
- None. Location in this jurisdiction does not make a project eligible for, or approved under, this measure.
Sources
- RURA: Law N° 59/2017 of 24/01/2018 governing radiation protection (Official Gazette n° Special of 25/01/2018) (government_primary, published 25 Jan 2018, accessed 2026-10-18)
- NucNet: IAEA review says Rwanda making progress towards nuclear power programme (12 March 2026) (reputable_press, published 12 Mar 2026, accessed 2026-10-18)