Rwanda has turned a claim against it into a bigger one. On 20 October, the Rwandan government, the Rwanda Development Board, the Rwanda Social Security Board and AGDF Corporate Trust, which runs the Agaciro Development Fund, filed a $386 million counterclaim against South Korea's KT with the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Techpoint Africa reported. Global Arbitration Review first reported the claim and counterclaim figures on 23 October.
KT is seeking about $152 million, which it says Rwanda owes under an agreement that allowed it to sell its stake in their joint venture. KT began pursuing the exit in March 2026 by exercising a put option, according to Techpoint. Rwanda argues that KT breached its contractual obligations and should pay damages instead. KT says it will challenge the basis of Rwanda's damages figure.
A monopoly that ended early
KT Rwanda Networks was set up in 2013 to build and run Rwanda's 4G LTE wholesale network, with KT holding 51% and the government 49%. The deal gave the venture 25 years as the country's only 4G wholesale provider. KT was expected to invest about $140 million to bring 4G to 95% of Rwandans, The EastAfrican's Rwanda Today reported in 2023.
Rwanda decided in late 2022 to end that exclusivity as part of a broadband policy to speed up 4G adoption, phase out 2G and prepare for 5G. ICT minister Paula Ingabire said then that the venture "can continue selling but not exclusively". In 2023 the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority formally removed the exclusivity for 4G and newer technologies. At the time, sources close to the talks told Rwanda Today that the government had agreed to compensate the venture for at least the 10 years left on its contract, without giving an amount.
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Neither claim has been decided, and the tribunal's timetable has not been made public. The case will turn on what each side owed the other once the exclusivity ended: KT argues it is owed the agreed exit price; Rwanda argues KT's own failures cost it more than that.
