Rwanda is considering whether its Mutuelle de Santé community health insurance scheme could serve as a foundation for a wider financial protection model that includes coverage against agricultural losses, climate shocks and small business risks. Herbert Asiimwe, Head of Financial Sector Development at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, said Rwanda could work with stakeholders to bundle community health insurance with other products to deliver greater impact and benefits. Asiimwe made the comments on October 20 at the International Conference on Inclusive Insurance 2026 in Kigali, where policymakers, regulators and insurance industry representatives are examining ways to expand affordable protection to underserved populations.
The proposal would build on Rwanda's established experience with Mutuelle de Santé, which pools contributions to help people access healthcare. A similar approach could protect families against a wider range of financial shocks. For a smallholder farmer, illness can mean medical expenses and lost income, while drought or flooding can destroy a harvest. A small business owner whose premises are damaged by fire may face repair costs and lost earnings simultaneously. Bundling different forms of insurance together could potentially offer more comprehensive protection against these interconnected risks and make insurance easier to sell, allowing customers to receive more benefits from a single package rather than navigating several separate products.
However, Laura Elena Rosado, Acting Chair of the Board of the Microinsurance Network, cautioned that Rwanda would need to make bundled insurance understandable to the people it is designed to protect. Combining health, life, agriculture and other forms of coverage could leave customers struggling to understand what is covered, what is excluded and when they can claim compensation. Rosado stressed that the challenge would be to combine meaningful coverage with clear conditions, affordable premiums and reliable claims processes. She also highlighted the continuing importance of cash, alongside bank transfers and mobile money, in determining how inclusive insurance products reach customers.
The proposal comes as Rwanda seeks to expand insurance coverage under its National Insurance Strategy, which sets targets for 2035. According to the National Bank of Rwanda, the FinScope 2024 survey found that close to 70% of the population had experienced climate change-related risks. Private insurance uptake increased from 17% in 2020 to 27% in 2024, while the national strategy targets coverage of 45% by 2035. The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme, which receives a government subsidy covering 40% of premiums, demonstrates how public support and private sector expertise can make insurance more accessible to farmers.
Andrew Kulayige, Chairperson of the Rwanda Insurers Association, said the country's 2025 to 2035 National Insurance Strategy provides a roadmap for expanding protection, particularly among smallholder farmers and rural households. The strategy aims to increase insurance penetration from 1.9% to 5% of GDP by 2035, while raising adult policyholder coverage to 45% and female policyholder coverage to 40%. Kulayige emphasized that expanding access would not be enough unless insurance became an affordable and reliable proposition for the people and businesses that needed it most.
For Rwanda, the central objective is how the country can build on an established system of shared health protection to help households manage a wider range of risks without making insurance too complicated or expensive to use. The idea would need to be explored with relevant institutions and within Rwanda's policy and regulatory environment. For savers and borrowers in Rwanda, bundling different types of insurance could mean accessing broader financial protection through a single affordable product rather than purchasing multiple separate policies.