The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) will elect a new president in January 2027 following the resignation of Shema Ngoga Fabrice after about 13 months in office.
The decision was made on Thursday, Oct. 1, at a meeting of FERWAFA’s Executive Committee, which also agreed that Claudine Gasarabwe will continue as acting president until the election.
Gasarabwe, who previously served as FERWAFA’s first vice president in charge of finance and administration, took over on an interim basis following Shema’s resignation.
The exact date and venue of the election will be announced through an Extraordinary General Assembly, FERWAFA said.
Shema resigned on Sept. 29 in a letter that took immediate effect, ending his tenure roughly 13 months after he was elected to lead the federation.
His resignation came after about six weeks of court proceedings linked to his business activities outside football. He was facing charges related to issuing dishonoured cheques and fraudulently obtaining another person’s property in connection with his medical-supplies business, Africa Medical Supplier.
FERWAFA’s statutes and requirements for candidates seeking its presidency state that a candidate must not have been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to more than six months in prison.
The federation’s leadership requirements therefore became relevant to Shema’s position following the court proceedings.
Gasarabwe will oversee the federation until the January election, when members are expected to choose a permanent successor.
FERWAFA has not yet announced the candidates who will contest the presidency or the specific date of the election.
