Rwanda Case Law

AYINKAMIYE v. KASINE N’ABANDI

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RCAA 00032/2024/CA

The court found that the land certificate for UPI:1/03/02/04/301 registered to AYINKAMIYE Denys and NTAMAKIRIRO Eugenie was obtained without legal basis, as the applicant failed to prove the origin of the land. The acts of notoriety presented did not meet the legal requirements and were invalid. Testimonies from the majority of siblings confirmed the land belonged to MUKANGENZI Clémence and RUKIRA Isidore. Therefore, the property does not form part of the estate to be inherited. Claims by MUJAWIMANA Perpetue were inadmissible as they were raised for the first time on appeal. Monetary claims a…

Source excerpt

• Land registration
• Burden of proof
• Validity of land title
• Inheritance rights
• Acts of notoriety
• Distribution of estate

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HABIMANA vs IKIGO CY’IMISORO N’AMAHORO (RRA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RS/REV/RCOM 00001/2024/CA

The court found that the documents submitted by Habimana were not new evidence within the meaning of the law, as they existed and could have been obtained and presented during the original proceedings. Furthermore, the documents were not decisive and would not have changed the outcome of the prior judgment. Therefore, the application for revision was inadmissible.

Source excerpt

• Revision of judgments
• New evidence
• Tax assessment
• Procedural admissibility

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PROSECUTION v NYANDWI

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00477/2023/CA

The Court of Appeal held that a detainee’s appeal time runs from notification at the correctional facility, quashed the High Court’s dismissal, and sent the case back for merits hearing.

• Child defilement
• Appeal time limits
• Covid-19 pandemic impact
• Procedural admissibility
• Criminal-procedure
• Appeal-time-limits

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BUGINGO V USANASE N’ABANDI

Court

High Court

Case number

RCA00033/2022/HC/MUS

The incident was not a road traffic accident but a workplace accident involving misuse of vehicle equipment; thus, the employer is vicariously liable for damages caused by the employee acting within the scope of employment. The lower court's award of damages was within its discretionary powers, and the appeal lacked merit.

Source excerpt

• Vicarious liability
• Compensation for non-traffic accident
• Damages assessment
• Procedural admissibility

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Re BAKOMEZA NA UWIRAGIYE

Court

High Court

Case number

RADA 00004/2022/HC/RWG

The High Court upheld inadmissibility of a land-rights administrative claim, finding the summary procedure improper because the dispute involved factual contestation.

• Challenge to administrative decision
• Land rights
• Procedural admissibility
• Administrative-law
• Land-law
• Procedural-admissibility

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UJENGE RWANDA LTD v. MUBILIGI N’ABANDI

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RCOMAA 00042/2018/CA

The Court of Appeal held that Ujenge Rwanda Ltd sold mortgaged apartments without lender consent, upheld nullity of unauthorized sales, and protected only buyers who purchased before mortgage registration.

• Preliminary sale agreements (contrat de réservation)
• Nullity of contract
• Mortgage on immovable property
• Standing of creditors
• Damages for breach of contract
• Procedural admissibility

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UWAMAHORO v HABIMANA NABANDI (1)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RS/INJUST/RAD 00002/2020/CA

The Court of Appeal held that Uwamahoro had standing, prior judgments were not res judicata on the land-certificate correction issue, and ordered restoration of the access path.

• Land registration
• Right of way
• Review for injustice
• Authority of res judicata
• Compensation for loss
• Procedural admissibility

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NTEGEYE v ECOBANK RWANDA LTD

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RCOMAA 00001/2019/SC

The Supreme Court held that a judgment rendered on review due to injustice cannot itself be reviewed or appealed, and declared the application inadmissible.

• Review due to injustice
• Finality of judgments
• Loan agreements
• Amicable settlement
• Procedural admissibility
• Review-due-to-injustice

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PASSAG COMPANY Ltd v. GTBANK Ltd ET AL

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RCOMAA 00050/2018/CA

The Court of Appeal held that a shareholder must first obtain court authorization before suing in the company’s interest, and must sue in the company’s name.

• Shareholder standing
• Derivative actions
• Banking disputes
• Procedural admissibility
• Shareholder-standing
• Derivative-actions

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MUSASANGOHE v. NTAKIRUTIMANA_kn

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RS/INJUST/RC00023/2017/CS

The Supreme Court held that children had no current legal interest to sue for registration on their mother’s property, and set aside the lower judgments.

• Standing to sue
• Interest in bringing action
• Inheritance rights of children
• Distribution of matrimonial property
• Procedural admissibility
• Standing-to-sue

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