Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa), through its refereeing commission, has suspended three referees, including international referee Claude “Cucuri” Ishimwe, for misconduct during recent Rwanda Premier League matches. The trio, which also includes Eric Mugabo and Emmanuel Habumugisha, has been penalised following errors in their respective fixtures. Ishimwe and Mugabo officiated the match between APR FC and Mukura Victory Sports on Sunday, which ended 1–0 in favour of APR. Ishimwe, who was the center referee, received a two-week suspension for failing to issue a second yellow card which would have resulted in a red to APR defender Clement Niyigena after a foul on Zubair Hakizimana. His assistant, Eric Mugabo, was handed a one-month suspension for incorrectly ruling out a Mukura goal in the 86th minute for offside, a decision later deemed erroneous. Meanwhile, referee Emmanuel Habumugisha was suspended for one month following his performance in the match between Rayon Sports and Gasogi United on October 5, 2025. Habumugisha disallowed a valid Gasogi goal in the 89th minute, citing offside. In a statement, Ferwafa announced it is reviewing its 2019 refereeing regulations to ensure they remain current. The federation also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening referee integrity, enhancing officiating standards, and strictly enforcing existing rules and regulations.
