Government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo said Rwanda is working with multiple international partners to develop its nuclear capabilities, as feasibility studies continue for the construction of a facility using Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology and the establishment of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology.
“Rwanda is working with a variety of global partners to develop our civil nuclear capabilities,” Makolo said in a statement on X.
She noted that alongside Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, Rwanda recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States government during the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA), held in Kigali earlier this month.
The summit also resulted in additional agreements between the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB) and companies from the United States, South Africa and Austria, underscoring Kigali’s strategy of building broad international cooperation in the sector.
Rwanda’s nuclear partnership dates back several years. In December 2018, Rwanda and Russia signed an intergovernmental framework agreement in Moscow on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The cooperation was further strengthened in October 2019 when the two countries signed a roadmap with Rosatom during the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi.
Most recently, on May 19, 2026, Rwanda and Russia signed another MoU at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit in Kigali. The agreement focuses on nuclear medicine, advanced healthcare cooperation and broader training in nuclear science.
At the same summit, Rwanda and the United States signed a Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation MoU, which established a framework for collaboration in areas including regulatory capacity building, workforce development, scientific research and the future deployment of advanced nuclear technologies such as SMRs.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Usta Kayitesi described the agreement as an important step in Rwanda’s efforts to diversify its energy sources in line with Vision 2050.
“Nuclear energy is a key component of Rwanda’s long-term energy strategy and broader national development ambitions,” she said.
The agreement was welcomed by Renee Sonderman, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, who praised Rwanda’s structured approach to nuclear energy development and its plans to deploy SMR technology.
The summit also saw RAEB sign a Comprehensive Development Agreement with U.S.-based company Holtec International to support the potential deployment of SMR-300 reactors in Rwanda.
Under the agreement, both parties will undertake technical cooperation activities, including site assessments, feasibility studies and data collection related to future reactor deployment. Officials said the initiative could eventually support up to 5 gigawatts of nuclear generation capacity, strengthening Rwanda’s long-term energy security while providing carbon-free baseload electricity.
President Paul Kagame has repeatedly reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to introducing nuclear energy as part of the country’s development agenda. During NEISA, he said Rwanda remains on track to operationalise nuclear energy infrastructure by the early 2030s.
“We intend to have nuclear energy operational by the early 2030s. This assessment confirms that we are on track,” Kagame said after receiving the Phase I Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review report from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Makolo said financing discussions are also evolving globally. While nuclear projects have traditionally been funded by governments, she noted that multilateral development banks have recently begun exploring financing frameworks aimed at expanding access to nuclear energy projects in emerging economies.
As Rwanda pursues its ambitious energy expansion plans, officials say international cooperation, technological partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms will be critical to bringing the country’s first nuclear power project to fruition.
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