RURA Summons MTN Rwanda Leadership Over Recurring Service Disruptions

By The Inspirer.

Kigali, July 29, 2025 — The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) has summoned MTN Rwanda’s top leadership to a formal meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, following what the regulator described as “persistent and recurring issues” in the telecom company’s service delivery.

In a statement shared Monday night via X (formerly Twitter), RURA cited a series of service disruptions affecting voice calls, SMS, USSD access—which is crucial for mobile money transactions—and interconnect traffic with other service providers.

“In accordance with the regulations, MTN’s leadership has been invited for a formal meeting tomorrow, Tuesday at 9:00 AM, to provide explanations regarding these issues and to present concrete measures to improve service quality and prevent similar disruptions from recurring,” the statement read.

The move comes after growing public complaints over service interruptions. Over the weekend and into Monday, MTN Rwanda acknowledged the disruptions, informing customers through social media that it was “experiencing intermittent service disruptions affecting voice and USSD services across the country.”

The telecom operator, which holds a significant share of Rwanda’s mobile network market, said its technical team was working “urgently to restore full service,” and later confirmed that both voice and USSD services had been restored.

This latest development follows a previous agreement between RURA and MTN Rwanda over an \$8.5 million fine issued for prior regulatory breaches. Details of that settlement included a structured payment plan, further underscoring the regulator’s growing concerns over the company’s compliance and service quality.

As MTN Rwanda prepares to face the regulator, industry watchers will be paying close attention to the outcomes of the meeting and the measures proposed to ensure more stable and reliable telecom services for Rwandan consumers.