The immediate release of businessman Fabrice Shema Ngoga following a court-approved plea agreement has done little to resolve questions over his future as president of the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA).
However, Shema could remain in office if the federation’s Executive Committee and General Assembly continue to support his presidency, subject to the applicable regulations and their interpretation.
The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court on Tuesday approved a plea agreement between Shema and the Prosecution in a case involving the issuance of two bounced cheques and obtaining another person’s property through fraudulent means.
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Under the agreement, Shema was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year, and fined Rwf3 million.
While the criminal case has been resolved through the plea agreement, the ruling has raised questions over whether Shema can continue serving as FERWAFA president.
FERWAFA regulations provide that a person who has received a prison sentence of six months or more is ineligible to serve as an official of the federation.
Legal observers, however, differ on whether the provision applies to suspended sentences in the same way as immediate custodial sentences.
Marie-Thérèse Umurerwa, a Kigali-based lawyer, said the law does not state that a person automatically loses their position upon receiving a prison sentence of six months or less.
She said Shema’s eligibility to remain in office would ultimately depend on the applicable regulations and how they are interpreted.
"The law does not say that a person automatically loses their position if they receive a prison sentence of six months or less. In Fabrice Shema’s case, his eligibility to continue in office will depend on the relevant legal and institutional provisions,” Umurerwa told Weekend Sport.
Shema was elected the 16th president of FERWAFA at the federation’s Ordinary General Assembly on August 30. Running unopposed, he secured 51 of the 53 votes cast and received a mandate running until 2029.
Before taking charge of FERWAFA, he served as president of AS Kigali and built a profile as a businessman through Africa Medical Supplier Plc.
In February 2026, he further expanded his role in football administration after being elected to the Executive Committee of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), representing Rwanda at regional level.
The plea agreement itself states that it applies only to the criminal proceedings and does not affect decisions that may be taken by other authorities or institutions.
That provision leaves room for football governing bodies to independently assess the implications of the conviction on Shema’s position.
"As far as I know and from a legal point of view, he is still FERWAFA president,” a senior FERWAFA official told Weekend Sport.
For now, Shema has regained his freedom, but his future as head of Rwandan football remains unresolved.