About Urumuri #

What is Urumuri for? #

Urumuri is Rwanda's Access to Information platform. It helps people request public information from institutions and builds a searchable public record of official responses and documents.

The platform operates within Rwanda's Access to Information law and policy framework, including Law N° 04/2013 and the ministerial orders that guide disclosure, timelines, fees, and scope.

How does it work? #

You choose an institution, write your request, and the site emails it on your behalf. Replies that reach the site are attached to the request page and published for anyone to read.

What law supports Urumuri? #

Urumuri is grounded in Rwanda's Access to Information framework. The principal legal basis is Law N° 04/2013 of 08/02/2013 relating to Access to Information, together with ministerial orders that explain disclosure duties, response timelines, fees, scope, and protected information.

Read the ATI law and policy guide for a plain-language explanation, or open the full text of Law N° 04/2013 directly.

Why use a public site instead of private email? #

Public requests create a reusable archive. If one person has already asked, others should not have to start from zero.

Why should institutions reply? #

Rwanda's Access to Information law recognizes a right of access to information, and the ministerial orders set rules on timelines, scope, and explanations for non-disclosure. Institutions should either provide the information or explain the lawful reason for refusing it.

See the ATI law and policy guide for the legal basis and the main implementation rules relevant to requests on Urumuri.

What legal timelines does the site use? #

The site treats ordinary requests as due after three working days. Rwanda's rules also include faster timelines for urgent life-or-liberty cases and journalist news-gathering requests, plus extensions in specific circumstances.

The full explanation is in the ATI law and policy guide.

What if I see a request that should not be public? #

Report it to the site team. Requests that reveal personal data, are abusive, or clearly misuse the service may be hidden or edited.

Why can’t I report some requests again? #

If a request is already under review, the site prevents duplicate reports. If you still think something is wrong, use the contact form and include the request link.

Who runs the site? #

Urumuri is operated by ZenCitizen and powered by Alaveteli, the open source Access to Information platform created by mySociety.