On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Shema wrote to the FERWAFA General Assembly informing it that he would no longer lead the federation, with his resignation taking immediate effect.
“I have submitted my resignation as President of the Rwanda Football Federation, effective immediately. This decision has been made with integrity and is linked to my personal conduct,” he said.
“I believe stepping down is the most important action to protect the integrity of the federation, maintain public confidence in it and allow other activities to continue smoothly without any damage.”
Shema added that following his resignation, he wished Rwandan football leadership that operates transparently and said he was ready to facilitate the handover process to ensure a smooth continuation of the federation’s activities.
He thanked the FERWAFA General Assembly that elected him, the Executive Committee he worked with, other federation officials, partners, the national team, fans and everyone who had placed their trust in him.
Shema resigned about a month and a half after becoming involved in a court case related to his business activities outside football. He had been charged with issuing bounced cheques and obtaining another person’s property through fraud. The offences were related to his medical equipment business operated through his company, Africa Medical Supplier.
On September 22, 2026, Nyarugenge Primary Court ordered his release after he accepted a plea agreement reached with the prosecution.
Under the agreement presented to the court, the prosecution said he had made the required payment and requested a six-month suspended sentence for one year, as well as a fine of Rwf3 million.
FERWAFA regulations and the requirements for candidates seeking to lead the federation state that a candidate must “not have been convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for more than six months.”
Shema had started his tenure with an emphasis on improving the financial resources available to football clubs and helping them become more self-sustaining. One of his early initiatives was to increase prize money for teams that performed well.
The winner of the men’s top-flight league received Rwf80 million, while eight teams received prize money, with the eighth-placed team taking home Rwf10 million. In total, Rwf484 million was distributed in prizes during his first year.
During his year in office, Shema also contributed to efforts to recruit talented Rwandan players based abroad to strengthen the national team, Amavubi, and helped facilitate a training camp for the team in Egypt.
He leaves office without achieving his stated ambitions of guiding Amavubi to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament Rwanda last reached in 2004, and qualifying for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
FERWAFA is currently headed on an interim basis by lawyer Claudine Gasarabwe, who previously served as First Vice President in charge of Finance and Administration.
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