AS Kigali president Fabrice Shema has pledged that, effective 2025/26 season, prize money across the first and second division leagues will increase if he is elected president of the local football governing body (FERWAFA).

Shema made the development on Thursday, August 14. He was addressing members of the press as he and his team kicked off campaign for FERWAFA elections slated for August 30.

For instance, he said, the prize money for men’s Rwanda Premier League champions will increase to Rwf 80 million, up from Rwf 25 million while the champions in women’s top tier league will bag Rwf 20 million, up from Rwf 5,000,000.

The men’s second division league will have the prize money doubled, where the champions will take home Rwf 20 million, up from Rwf 10 million.

In general, the prize money will be extended to the teams that will make it into top eight teams in men’s top tier and second divisions while top six teams in women’s first and second division leagues will also be awarded.

More than Rwf 484 million was projected to be distributed into prize money across the leagues during the 2025/26 season.

Rwf 345 million will be allocated in men’s top tier and second division teams and Rwf 99 million in women’s top tier and second division leagues.

"We want to ensure that what teams are rewarded is worth it,” Shema said.

Prize money will go as follows:

Prize money for 2025/26 men category

1. Rwf80 million
2. Rwf60 million
3. Rwf40 million
4. Rwf30 million
5. Rwf25 million
6. Rwf20 million
7. Rwf15 million
8. Rwf10 million

Total Rwf 280 million

Prize for women’s top tier league

1. Rwf20m
2. Rwf15m
3. Rwf10m
4. Rwf8m
5. Rwf6m
6. Rwf4m

Prize money for Men D2

1. Rwf 25 m
2. Rwf 20 m
3. Rwf15m
4. Rwf13m
5. Rwf11m
6. Rwf9m
7. Rwf7m
8. Rwf5m

Prize money for Women D2

1. Rwf 10m
2. Rwf8m
3. Rwf6m
4. Rwf5m
5. Rwf4m
6. Rwf3m