RURA, ATOMi, and Rwanda’s Nuclear Future

From Public Utilities to Nuclear Readiness

When Rwanda created the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) in 2001, the country was still in the early stages of modernizing its infrastructure. RURA’s first mission was to regulate the essential services that underpin daily life like telecommunications, electricity, water, waste removal, gas, and transport. Over the years, as Rwanda’s ambitions grew, so did RURA’s mandate.

By 2013, RURA had become a broad-based regulator with authority over telecommunications, postal services, renewable and non-renewable energy, water, sanitation, transport, and radiation protection. With legal, financial, and administrative autonomy, the institution emerged as a bridge between policymakers, service providers, and the Rwandan public. Its vision: to be a world-class regulator that ensures fair competition, consumer protection, and universal access to affordable, high-quality services.

RURA and Radiation Protection

In 2018, RURA received a new responsibility that would place Rwanda on the path toward a nuclear future: regulating radiation protection. Under Law N°59/2017, the authority became responsible for overseeing the safe and peaceful use of ionizing radiation, important for protecting people, property, and the environment

This work ranges from licensing and inspections to environmental monitoring and registration of radiation sources. Already, RURA’s efforts have enabled activities that once seemed out of reach, such as medical isotope production and the early groundwork for research reactors. These steps have created the regulatory backbone for Rwanda’s future nuclear installations.

Enter ATOMi: Building Rwanda’s Nuclear Platform

Today, Rwanda is preparing to take its first bold steps into nuclear energy. At ATOMi, a startup based in Kigali, we are working hand-in-hand with Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB) and engaging with RURA to ensure that every step of development meets the highest safety and regulatory standards.

This collaboration reflects Rwanda’s careful, forward-looking approach: combining local innovation, strong regulatory oversight, and international best practices to build a nuclear program that supports sustainable development.

The Road Ahead

From its beginnings in regulating water and telecommunications to its present-day role in radiation protection, RURA has evolved into a cornerstone of Rwanda’s clean energy ambitions. As the country looks toward its first nuclear installations, RURA’s leadership under Director General Evariste Rugigana will be essential in ensuring that Rwanda’s nuclear future is safe, secure, and transformative.

With institutions like RURA and innovators like ATOMi working together, Rwanda is entering the nuclear age and shaping the future of energy for the African continent.