Rwanda Police to Impound Vehicles Without Ownership Transfer

Rwanda’s Parliament has passed a new law governing road use, aimed at decisively addressing the long-standing problem of vehicle ownership transfer failures. The law targets individuals who buy or sell vehicles without completing the legal ownership transfer process, a practice that has caused serious challenges, including accountability issues and loss of government revenue.

The new law, introduced as part of amendments to the legislation on road safety, provides that any vehicle sold but whose new owner fails to complete ownership transfer (mutation) may be impounded by the Rwanda National Police until all legal requirements are fulfilled.

Several road users, particularly motorcycle and car drivers, say failure to transfer ownership negatively affects road safety and good governance. “Some people buy motorcycles and ride them for many years while they are still registered under someone else’s name. When an accident or offence occurs, it becomes difficult for authorities to identify the person responsible,” said Nkurunziza Jeovan, a motorcycle taxi driver in Kigali.

Another resident noted that some buyers assume they are no longer connected to the seller and therefore ignore ownership transfer requirements, only to face consequences later. “You may think the former owner will be held accountable, but when the Police stop you, it is you who gets punished,” said Umutesi Angelique, a car driver.

Following the recognition of this issue as a threat to road safety and effective vehicle management, Members of Parliament adopted a law that includes Article 18, which outlines legal grounds for vehicle impoundment. Among these grounds is failure to complete ownership transfer after purchase.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Jimmy Gasore, explained that the law seeks to ensure that every vehicle has a clearly identified and legally responsible owner. “Any vehicle that is sold must immediately undergo ownership transfer. If this is not done, the Police will impound the vehicle to compel the new owner to comply with the law,” said Dr. Gasore.

He added that the measure will help reduce traffic violations, speed up investigations, and strengthen trust in vehicle administration systems.

How Vehicle Ownership Transfer Is Done

Vehicle ownership transfer in Rwanda is conducted through the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA). Applicants must submit documents proving how the vehicle was acquired, including:

A sales agreement

A donation certificate

An auction certificate

A court decision

The process can only be completed if the vehicle has no outstanding debts or tax obligations to the government.

In recent years, Rwanda has experienced a growing problem of people purchasing vehicles, including motorcycles and cars, without promptly completing ownership transfer. This has often been caused by lack of legal awareness, attempts to evade taxes and fees, or informal agreements between buyers and sellers to handle the process later.

As a result, some vehicles have been involved in accidents or criminal activities while still registered under former owners who no longer had control over them. This situation has complicated police investigations and negatively affected government revenue collection.

To address these challenges, the Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, drafted a new road use law aimed at establishing firm measures to ensure that every vehicle has a legally recognized owner who can be held fully accountable.

The newly adopted law by Parliament is intended to prevent road traffic offences, improve vehicle governance, and enhance overall public safety.