UMUSHINGA

WITEGEKO
N LAW
N
....OF..REGARDING
..RYO
KU MATRIMONIAL
REGIMES,
FAMILY
WA...RIGENGA
IMICUNGIRE DONATIONS AND SUCCESSIONS
YUMUTUNGO WABASHYINGIRANYWE,
IMPANO
ZITANZWE
MU
RWEGO
RWUMURYANGO NIZUNGURA

PROJET DE LOI N ........... DU ..........

PORTANT
RGIMES
MATRIMONIAUX, LIBRALITS A
CARACTERE
FAMILIAL
ET
SUCCESSIONS

Twebwe, KAGAME Paul,

We, KAGAME Paul,

Nous, KAGAME Paul,

Perezida wa Repubulika,

The President of the Republic

Prsident de la Rpublique;

INTEKO
ISHINGA
AMATEGEKO
YEMEJE, NONE NATWE DUHAMIJE,
DUTANGAJE ITEGEKO RITEYE RITYA
KANDI DUTEGETSE KO RYANDIKWA
MU
IGAZETI
YA
LETA
YA
REPUBUBULIKA YU RWANDA.

THE PARLIAMENT HAS ADOPTED AND WE

SANCTION,
PROMULGATE
THE
FOLLOWING LAW AND ORDER IT BE
PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF
THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA.

LE PARLEMENT A ADOPTE ET NOUS

SANCTIONNONS, PROMULGUONS LA
LOI DONT LA TENEUR SUIT ET
ORDONNONS QUELLE SOIT PUBLIEE
AU JOURNAL OFFICIEL DE LA
REPUBLIQUE DU RWANDA.

INTEKO ISHINGA AMATEGEKO:

THE PARLIAMENT:

LE PARLEMENT :

Umutwe wabadepite, mu nama yawo yo ku wa The Chamber of Deputies, in its session of La Chambre des Dputs, en sa sance du
.
.
.;
Ishingiye ku Itegeko-Nshinga rya Repubulika yu
Rwanda ryo ku wa 04 Kamena 2003 nkuko
ryahinduwe kugeza ubu, cyane cyane mu ngingo
zaryo za 26, iya 27, iya 28, iya 62, iya 88, iya 90,
iya 108, iya 118, iya 121, niya 201;

Pursuant the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda

of 4 June 2003, as amended to date, especially in
Articles 26, 27, 28, 62, 88, 90, 108, 118, 121, and
201;

Vu la Constitution de la Rpublique du
Rwanda du 04 juin 2003, telle que rvise
ce jour, spcialement en ses articles 26, 27,
28, 62, 88, 90, 108, 118, 121 et 201 ;

Isubiye ku Itegeko n 22/99 ryo ku wa 12

Ugushyingo 1999 ryuzuza igitabo cya mbere
cyurwunge rwamategeko mbonezamubano
kandi rishyiraho igice cya gatanu cyerekeye

Having reviewed the Law n 22/99 of 12 November

1999 to supplement Book One of the Civil Code and
to institute Part Five regarding Matrimonial Regimes,
Liberalities and Successions;

Revu la Loi n 22/99 du 12/11/1999

compltant le livre premier du code civil et
instituant la cinquime partie relative aux
rgimes matrimoniaux, aux libralits et aux

imicungire yumutungo
impano nizungura;

wabashyingiranywe,

YEMEJE:
INTERURO
RUSANGE

successions ;

HEREBY ADOPTS:
YA

MBERE:

INGINGO TITLE ONE: GENERAL PROVISIONS

Ingingo ya mbere: Icyo iri tegeko rigamije

Article One: Purpose of this Law

ADOPTE :
TITRE
PREMIER :
GENERALES

DISPOSITIONS

Article premier: Objet de la prsente loi

Iri tegeko rigenga imicungire yumutungo This Law regulates matrimonial regimes, family La prsente loi rgit les rgimes
wabashyingiranywe, impano zitanzwe mu rwego donations and succession.
matrimoniaux, libralits et successions.
rwumuryango nizungura
Ingingo ya 2: Ibisobanuro byamagambo

Article 2: Definition of terms

Article 2: Dfinition des termes

Muri iri tegeko, usibye aho bivugitse ukundi, In this Law, except where the context indicates Pour la prsente loi, except o le contexte en
amagambo akurikira asobanura:
otherwise, the following terms shall be defined as dispose autrement, les termes suivants sont
follows:
dfinis comme suit:
1 Imicungire
yumutungo
wabashyinginwa: amabwiriza yose agenga
uburyo abashyingiranwe bazajya umutungu
wabo mu gihe babana nkumugabo
numugore;

1 Matrimonial regime: the body of rules

governing the agreement between spouses
regarding the management and distribution of
their property;

1 Rgime matrimonial: lensemble de

rgles qui rgissent la faon dont les
poux conviennent de grer leurs biens
pendant le mariage ;

2 Uburyo bwivangamutungo rusange:

amasezerano abashyingiranwe bagirana
bumvikana gushyira hamwe umutungo wabo
wose, ibyimukanwa nibitimukanwa kimwe
nimyenda yabo;

2 Community property regime: a contract by

which the spouses opt for a marriage settlement
based on joint ownership of their movable and
immovable property and debts;

2 Rgime de la communaut universelle:

contrat par lequel les poux conviennent
de mettre en commun tous leurs biens,
tant meubles quimmeubles, ainsi que
toutes leurs dettes ;

3 Uburyo
wumuhahano:
abashyingiranwe

3 Limited community property regime: a

contract by which spouses agree to pool some of
their respective property owned on the day of

3 Rgime de la communaut rduite aux

acquts: contrat par lequel les poux
conviennent de mettre en commun leurs

bwivangamutungo
amasezerano
bagirana
bumvikana

gushyira hamwe ibyo buri wese yazanye

igihe cyishyingirwa kugira ngo bibe
iremezo ryibihahano, kimwe nibyo
bungutse mu mibanire yabo, bakorera
hamwe cyangwa buri wese ku giti cye,
byaba impano cyangwa ibizungurwa;

the marriage celebration, creating the

community property to which any property
acquired during the marriage by a common or
separate activity, donation, legacy or succession
shall be added;

apports respectifs au jour de la

clbration du mariage, pour constituer la
base des acquts ainsi que les biens
acquis, pendant le mariage, par lactivit
commune ou spare, titre de don ou de
succession ;

4 Uburyo bwivanguramutungo risesuye:

amaseserano abashyingiranywe bagirana
bumvikana gufatanya gucunga urugo rwabo
hakurikijwe ubushobozi bwa buri wese,
bakagumana
ugucunga,
ukwikenuza,
gutanga no kugurisha umutungo wabo
bwite;

4 Separation of property regime: a contract by

which spouses agree to contribute to the
expenses of the household in proportion to their
respective abilities while retaining the right to
enjoy, administer and freely dispose of their
personal property;

4 Rgime de la sparation des biens:

contrat par lequel les poux conviennent
de
conserver ladministration, la
jouissance et la libre disposition de leurs
patrimoines propres, sous rserve de
contribuer aux charges du mnage
proportion de leurs facults respectives ;

5 Umutungo: Ibintu byose umuntu atunze,

bigizwe nibintu bifatika nibidafatika,
hamwe nuburenganzira ndetse nimyenda
kuri ibyo bintu;

5 Patrimony: all the property of a person,

including real and personal property, and all
rights and debts;

5 Patrimoine: tous les biens dune

personne, comprenant les biens rels et
personnels ainsi les droits et dettes sur
ses biens ;

6 Umutungo usizwe na nyakwigendera:

umutungo wose upfuye asize akaba ari na
wo ugomba kuzungurwa;

6 Estate: the entire patrimony of a person

remaining after his/her death;

6 Patrimoine succder: tous les biens

laisss par le De Cujus qui doivent tre
faire lobjet de succession ;

7 Impano
zitanzwe
mu
rwego
rwumuryango: Byitwa impano itanzwe mu
rwego rwumuryango, iyo abashyingiranwe
cyangwa umwe muri bo atanze cyangwa
ahawe nta kiguzi uburenganzira ku kintu
runaka;

7 Family donation: an act by which one or both

of the spouses gratuitously transfers or acquires
a patrimonial right, which has an effect on the
entire family;

7 Donation caractre familial: acte par

lequel les poux ou lun deux transfrent
ou recoivent titre graduit un droit
patrimonial ;

8 Umucuruzi:
byubucuruzi

8 Business person: any person who engages in

8 Commerant: personne qui sengage

dans une activit commerciale, telle que

umuntu ukora ibikorwa

nkuko bisobanurwa mu

commercial

activities,
3

defined

under

the

itegeko rigenga amasosiyeti yubucuruzi;

Companies Law;

dfinie par la
commerciales ;

sur

les

socits

9 Umugabane wibishobora gutangwa:

umugabane wibintu umuntu adashobora
kurenza igihe akora impano;

9 Transferable quota: a portion of someones

property that he/she is allowed to freely transfer
by donation or will;

9 Quotit
disponible:
partion
du
patrimoine dune personne dont elle peut
disposer librement par donation ou
testament ;

10 Ubuhemu bwuwahawe: iyo uwahawe

yishe abishaka cyangwa agambiriye kwica
uwamuhaye, iyo agiriye nabi cyangwa atutse
bikabije uwamuhaye, niyo amureze
amubeshyera
cyangwa
amutangiye
ubuhamya butari bwo;

10 Ingratitude: when the donee has intentionally

caused the death or attempted to kill the donor,
or when the donee has been found guilty of illtreatment or serious physical harm of the donor,
false accusations about the donor, or perjury
against the donor;

10 Ingratitude: lorsque le donataire a

intentionnellement caus la mort ou a
voulu attenter la vie du donateur, sil
sest rendu coupable envers le donateur
de svices ou dinjures graves, de
dnonciation calomnieuse ou de faux
tmoignage ;

11 Itanga ryumunani: igikorwa ababyeyi

bakora
bakiriho
kigamije
kugabira
umutungo
abana
babo
cyangwa
ababakomokaho bagahita bawegukana,
bikitwa ko bashoje inshingano yo kubarera
no kububakira;

11 Ascending partition: an act accomplished by a

parent while s/he is still alive, by which s/he
divides his/her patrimony between the children
or descendants, who immediately acquire full
ownership of the portion given to them. This
partition is regarded as the accomplishment of
parents duties to educate their children and
provide them with a personal patrimony;

11 Partage dascendant: acte accompli par

des parents de leur vivant, par lequel ils
partagent leur patrimoine entre leurs
enfants ou leur descendants qui en
deviennent, chacun pour la portion lui
dvolu, propritaires. Ce partage vaut
accomplissement des devoirs des parents
dduquer et de donner un patrimoine
propre leurs enfants ;

12 Izungura: guhabwa ububasha n'inshingano

ku mutungo n'imyenda byuwapfuye wiswe
nyakwigendera;

12 Succession: an act by which the rights and

obligations on the patrimony of the deceased
person (the de cujus) are transferred to his/her
heirs;

12 Succession: acte par lequel les droits et

les obligations sur le patrimoine dune
personne dcde, appele de cujus, sont
transfrs lhritier ;

13 Irage: igikorwa mbonezamategeko, kigirwa

numwe mubo kireba, gishobora guseswa
kandi kigakorwa muri bumwe mu buryo
buteganywa nitegeko, aho umuntu agena

13 Will: a unilateral, revocable act formally

executed, by which a person (the testator)
determines the destination and manner of
distribution of his/her patrimony after his/her

13 Testament: act juridique unilatral,

rvocable, tabli dans lune des formes
prvues par la loi, par lequel une
personne dtermine la destination de son

amerekezo
atakiriho;

yibintu

bye

igihe

azaba

death;

patrimoine aprs sa mort ;

14 Kuraga: kwikuraho ibintu nta kiguzi

bikozwe mu buryo bwirage, nyirukuragwa
akabyegukana ari uko uraga apfuye;

14 Legacy: a gratuitous act made in a will by

which the recipient (or legatee) acquires full
ownership after the death of the testator;

14 Legs: dispostion titre gratuit faite par

testament, le lgataire nen acqurant la
proprit quaprs la mort du testateur ;

15 Iyegeranya ryumutungo uzungurwa

Kwegweranya ibizungurwa: ukugaragaza
abazungura no kubahamagara mu izungura,
kugaragaza ibigize umutungo uzungurwa,
gukora ibarura ryibintu bigize umutungo
uzungurwa,
kwishyuza
imyenda
nyakwigendera
yari
aberewemo
no
kwishyura imyenda ikurwa ku murage
ndetse no gutanga imirage ku bintu bizwi
nyakwigendera
yasize
akoze.
Ni
ukugaragaza uburenganzira bwabashakanye
bushingiye ku buryo bwimicungire
yumutungo wabo hakurikijwe amategeko
agenga iseswa ryuburyo bwimicungire
yumutungo ku mpamvu zurupfu rwumwe
mu bashakanye;

15 Liquidation: the process by which the

liquidator (or executor) identifies and notifies all
successors to a persons estate, determines the
contents of the estate, takes an inventory and
establishes all the property that makes up the
estate, recovers any credit and pays any debts on
the property, and distributes legacies by
particular title;

15 Liquidation: acte consistant identifier

et appeler les successibles, dterminer
le contenu de la succession, tablir
linventaire des biens formant la masse
successorale, recouver les crances,
payer les dettes de la succession et
payer les legs particuliers ;

16 Ibizungurwa bizigamirwa: umutungo

umuntu atemerewe gutanga cyangwa kuraga
kuko uba ugenewe abazungura bazigamiwe.
utanga havanywemo imyenda yari afite;

16 Successoral reserve: the portion of someones

property that he/she is not allowed to transfer by
donation or testament because it is reserved for
his/her designated heirs;

16 Reserve successorale: portion du

patrimoine dune personne dont elle ne
peut pas dpasser par donation ou par
testament, parce que reserve aux
hritiers rservateurs ;

17 Iyegurirwa (ryizungura): Igikorwa cyo

guha uzungura ibyo agomba kuzungura.

17 Devolution of succession: the passing of

property from the deceased person to his/her
successors.

17 Dvolution successorale: transfer de

lhrdit aux successibles.

Ingingo ya 3: Isezerano ryugushyingirwa

Article 3: Contract of marriage

Article 3 : Contrat de mariage

Uburyo abashakanye bahisemo kuzacunga

umutungo wabo bugomba kwandikwa mu
isezerano ryugushyingirwa, rikorerwa imbere
yumwanditsi wirangamimerere, ba nyirubwite
bombi bahibereye kandi babyemeranyijweho.
Inyandiko yabugenewe iteganywa nIteka rya
Minisitiri ufite irangamimerere mu nshingano ze
igomba guhita yuzuzwa.

The matrimonial regime chosen by spouses shall be

recorded in the contract of marriage, which is drafted
before the Civil Status Officer in the presence and
with the consent of both spouses. A stardardized
form provided by the Order of the Minister in charge
of Civil Status must be immediately filled.

Le rgime matrimonial choisi est consign

dans un contrat de mariage, rdig devant
lofficier de ltat civil, en la prsence et avec
le consentement des futurs poux. Un
formulaire ad hoc prvu par un arrt du
Ministre ayant ltat civil dans ses attributions
doit immdiatement tre rempli.

Uburyo bwo gucunga umutungo

butangira The matrimonial regime shall take effect on the date
gukurikizwa ku munsi imihango yishyingirwa of the civil marriage. Before the civil marriage, the
yabaye. Mbere yayo, abitegura gushyingirwa future spouses may decide to modify it.
bashobora kubuhindura uko babishatse.

Le rgime matrimonial prend effet au jour de

la clbration du mariage. Avant cette
clbration, les futurs poux peuvent le
modifier leur gr.

Niba ugushyingirwa kutarakurikiwe no kubana If after the civil marriage, there is no cohabitation
kwabashyingiranywe, hanyuma iryo sezerano and
subsequently marriage is nullified for any
rikaza kuvanwaho ku mpamvu iyo ariyo yose, reason, the matrimonial regime shall have no effect.
amasezerano yo gucunga umutungo ntabwo
ashyirwa mu bikorwa.

Si aprs cette clbration le mariage nest pas

suivi de cohabitation, et que le mariage est
dissout pour une cause quelconque, le rgime
matrimonial ne produit aucun effet.

INTERURO
YA
II:
IMICUNGIRE TITLE II: MATRIMONIAL REGIMES
YUMUTUNGO WABASHYINGIRANYWE

TITRE II: REGIMES MATRIMONIAUX

UMUTWE
WA
MBERE:
UBWOKO CHAPTER ONE: TYPES OF MATRIMONIAL CHAPITRE PREMIER : TYPES
BWIMICUNGIRE
YUMUTUNGO REGIMES
REGIMES MATRIMONIAUX
WABASHYINGIRANYWE
Ingingo ya 4: Ubwoko bwimicungire Article 4: Types of matrimonial regimes
yumutungo wabashyingiranywe

DE

Article 4 : Types de rgimes matrimoniaux

Abagiye gushyingirwa bahitamo bumwe mu The future spouses shall choose one of the following Les futurs poux dclarent qu'ils entendent se
buryo bwicungamutungo bukurikira:
matrimonial regimes:
marier sous l'un des rgimes matrimoniaux
suivants :
6

1 Ivangamutungo rusange;

1 community property;

1 le rgime
universelle ;

de

la

communaut

2 Ivangamutungo wumuhahano;

2 limited community property;

2 le rgime de la communaut rduite

aux acquts ;

3 Ivanguramutungo risesuye

3 separation of property.

3 le rgime de la sparation des biens.

Abashyingiranywe batagize icyo bahitamo igihe If the spouses make no election, they shall be married
cyamasezerano yo gushyingirwa, imicungire under the community property regime.
yumutungo wabo ikurikizwa ni ivangamutungo
rusange.

Les poux qui nayant pas choisi leur rgime

matrimonial par contrat de mariage sont de
plein droit sous le rgime de la communaut
universelle.

Icyiciro cya mbere: Ivangamutungo rusange

Section
premire:
Regime
communaut universelle

Section One: Community property regime

de

la

Ingingo ya 5: Imicungire yumutungo Article 5: Management of property in the Article 5 : Gestion des biens des poux
wabashyingirwanywe bavanze umutungo
community property regime
maris sous le rgime de la communaut
universelle
Gucunga umutungo bijyana nububasha bwo Subject to exceptions provided by the law, the
kuwukoresha
uko
bikwiye,
kuwikenuza, management of property comprises the powers of
kuwutanga no kuwugurisha haseguriwe ibyo administration, enjoyment and disposition.
amategeko ateganya.

La gestion du patrimoine comprend tous les

pouvoirs d'administration, de jouissance et de
disposition, sous rserve des excptions
prvues par la loi.

Abashyingiranwe bavanze umuntungo ku buryo

busesuye bacungira hamwe umutungo wabo,
kandi bakagira ububasha bungana bwo
kuwukurikirana no kuwuhagararira.

Spouses under this regime manage the patrimony

together and have the same right to recover the
property if taken, and act as legal representative of
the property.

Les poux maris sous le rgime de la

communaut universelle grent de commun
accord le patrimoine ; ils ont aussi le mme
pouvoir de suivi et de reprsentation sur ces
biens.

Umutungo wimukanwa cyangwa utimukanwa

wanditse ku izina ryumwe mu bashyingiranywe
ugomba kwandikwa no kuri mugenzi we kugira
ngo na we awugireho uruhare.

Immovable or movable property registered in one

spouses name shall also be registered in the other
name through a notation on the title so that the latter
can also benefited from it.

Les biens immeubles ou meubles enregistrs

au nom de lun des poux doivent tre
enregistrs au nom de lautre pour quil puisse
aussi en profiter.

Ingingo ya 6: Kwishyura imyenda yafashwe Article 6: Payment of debts contracted before the Article 6 : Payement des dettes antrieures
mbere
marriage
Abashyingiranywe bafatanya kwishyura imyenda Spouses are jointly liable for debts contracted before Les deux poux restent tenus conjointement
yafashwe mbere yisezerano ryugushyingirwa na and during their marriage.
des dettes nes avant ou pendant leur mariage.
nyuma yaryo.
Ingingo ya 7: Uguseswa
bwivangamutungo rusange

kwuburyo Article 7: Dissolution of the community property Article 7 : Dissolution du rgime de

regime
communaut universelle

Iyo
uburyo
bwivangamutungo
rusange
busheshwe ku mpamvu ziteganywa mu ngingo ya
23 yiri tegeko, abari barashyingiranywe
bagabana mu buryo bungana umutungo
nimyenda bahuriyeho. Ibikoresho bidashobora
gusangirwa nibikoreshwa mu kazi kumwe mu
bashyingiranywe bihabwa mbere na mbere
usanzwe abikoresha.

If dissolution occurs for reasons provided in the

Article 23 of the present Law where the marriage
was under the community property regime, the
spouses shall share the assets and liabilities of the
community equally. Items of personal and
professional use shall remain within the patrimony of
the spouse who uses them.

En cas de dissolution du rgime de la

communaut universelle pour des causes
prvues par l'article 23 de la prsente loi, les
poux se partagent par parts gales l'actif et le
passif de la communaut. Les biens usage
personnel et professionnel reviennent par
prfrence l'poux qui en fait usage.

Ababerewemo umwenda bafite uburenganzira

bwo gusaba kwishyurwa imyenda yafashwe
nabashyingiranywe mbere yo gusesa uburyo
bwimicungire yumutungo wabo. Uberewemo
umwenda ahitamo gukurikirana umwe cyangwa
undi mu bashyingiranwe ku mwenda wose;
uwishyuye akaba yahindukirira mu genzi we
asaba ko yahamagazwa ku gahato mu rubanza
cyangwa yamusubiza uruhare yamutangiye
yishyura umwenda bari basangiye.

Creditors have the right to claim payment for debts

contracted by a spouse before the dissolution of the
marriage contract. The creditors may opt to claim the
total payment from either spouse, and the paying
spouse may then sue the other for his/her share of the
joint debt.

Les cranciers ont le droit de poursuivre le

payement des dettes contractes par les poux
avant la dissolution du rgime matrimonial. Il
est au choix du crancier de poursuivre lun
ou lautre des poux pour le paiement de la
totalit de la dette, quitte lpoux poursuivi
de se retourner contre lautre poux ou ayant
droit(s), soit en intervention force, soit en
action rcursoire.

Icyiciro ya 2: Ibyerekeye ivangamutungo Section 2: Limited community property regime

wumuhahano
8

Section 2: Rgime de la communaut

rduite aux acquts

Ingingo ya 8: Ibarura ryumutungo rizaba Article 8: Inventory of patrimony to constitute the Article 8 : Inventaire du patrimoine devant
iremezo ryvangamutungo wumuhahano
community property
former la base de la communaut rduite
aux acquts
Igihe cyo gukora amasezerano yo gushyingirwa,
hashingiwe kubyo abashyingiranwa ubwabo
bivugiye, hakorwa ibaruramutungo ryerekana
umutongo nimyenda buri wese ageneye iremezo
ryibihahano. Iryo barura risinywa nabagiye
gushyingirwa
ndetse
numwanditsi
wirangamimerere.

At the moment of the making of the marriage

contract, the spouses shall create an inventory of
assets and liabilities that constitute the basis of the
community property. The inventory shall be signed
by both the spouses and the Civil Status Officer.

Au moment de la rdaction du contrat de

mariage, un inventaire de lactif et du passif
est tabli sur base de la dclaration des biens
que chaque poux apporte la communaut.
Cet inventaire est sign par les futurs poux et
lofficier de ltat civil.

Ikintu cyose kitabaruwe ko ari rusange kiba ari Any property that is not declared as common Tout ce qui n'y figure pas constitue un bien
icya nyiracyo.
property shall be considered personal property.
propre.
Ingingo ya 9: Icungwa ryumutungo Article 9: Management of property in the limited Article 9 : Gestion des biens des poux
wabashyingiranywe
mu
buryo community property regime
maris sous le rgime de la communaut
bwivangamutungo wumuhahano
rduite aux acquts
Abashyingiranywe
bavanze
umutungo
wumuhahano bacunga umutungo rusange mu
buryo bumvikanyeho bombi; bafite kandi
uburenganzira bungana bwo gukurikirana no
guhagararira uwo mutungo basangiye.

Spouses under this regime shall agree about how

common property will be managed; they have the
same right to recover the property if taken, and act as
legal representative of the property.

Les poux maris sous ce rgime grent de

commun accord le patrimoine commun ; ils
ont aussi le mme pouvoir de suivi et de
reprsentation sur ces biens.

Buri wese afite ubasha bwo gukoresha,

kwikenuza, gutanga no kugurisha umutungo
yigengaho. Inyungu nibindi byose byabyawe
numutungo buri wese yigengaho bishyirwa muri
uwo mutungo we.

Each spouse has the powers of administration,

enjoyment and free disposal of his/her personal
property. Any fruits and revenues produced by
personal property benefit that person.

Chaque poux a ladministration, la

jouissance et la libre disposition de ses biens
propres. Les fruits et revenus des biens
propres sont affects au patrimoine propre de
lpoux.

Ingingo ya 10: Iyishyurwa ry imyenda Article 10: Payment of debts contracted by one of Article
10 : Payement
des
yafashwe numwe mu bashakanye
the spouses
contractes par lun des conjoints
9

dettes

Inguzanyo nimyenda byafashwe numwe mu

bashyingiranywe mu buryo bwivangamutungo
wumuhahano hagamije gukemura ibabazo
byurugo, byishyurwa numutungo rusange
kabone niyo yaba yararangije kubyishyura
akoresheje umutungo we.

Under the regime of limited community property,

loans and debts contracted by one of the spouses for
the benefit of the household shall be borne by the
community, even if they are paid for by one spouses
personal property.

Les emprunts et dettes contracts par l'un des

poux sous le rgime de la communaut
rduite aux acquts pour les besoins du
mnage sont, mme lorsqu'il les a payes avec
ses biens propres, supportes par le
patrimoine commun.

Iyo umutungo rusange udahagije kugira ngo If the whole debt cannot be paid from the common Lorsque celui-ci ne peut couvrir l'entiret de
wishyure uwo mwenda wose, ibisigaye patrimony, the outstanding balance shall be paid in la dette, le solde est pay par parts gales sur
byishyurwa numutungo wa buri wese mu equal parts from the patrimony of each spouse.
le patrimoine propre de chaque poux.
bashakanye ku buryo bungana.
Inguzanyo nimyenda byafashwe mu nyungu
zumuntu ku giti cye byishyurwa na
nyirukubifata ku mutungo we bwite. Nyamara
iyo mu gihe cyo kuwufata habayeho ubufatanye,
uwo mwenda wishyurwa ku mutungo rusange.

Loans and debts contracted for one spouses interests

shall be paid with his/her personal patrimony.
However, if the spouses are jointly liable, the debt is
deemed to be covered by the community property.

Les emprunts et dettes contracts dans

lintrt personnel sont pays par celui qui les
a contractes sur son patrimoine propre.
Cependant sil y a solidarit, la dette est
rpute entrer en communaut.

Ihazabu nimyenda ishingiye ku buryozwe

bwicyaha ni gatozi. Iyo byishyuwe ku mutungo
rusange, nyirukoryozwa ategekwa gusubiza
ibyishyuwe, havanwemo, iyo ari ngombwa, ibyo
umutungo rusange waba warungukiyemo.

Fines and debts from criminal responsibility are

personal. If the community has paid these fines and
debts, it has a right to be compensated for the whole
amount, less any benefit it received.

Les amendes et dettes dlictuelles sont

considres comme propres. Si elles ont t
acquittes par la communaut, celle-ci aura
droit rcompense, dduction faite, le cas
chant, du profit retir par elle.

Ingingo ya 11: Iseswa ryivangamutungo Article 11: Dissolution of the limited community Article 11: Dissolution du rgime de
wumuhahano
property regime
communaut rduite aux acquts
Iyo ivangamutungo wumuhahano risheshwe,
umutungo
wumuhahano
ugabanywa
abashyingiranwe mu buryo bungana hakurikijwe
amabwiriza agenga ivangamutungo rusange,
hanyuma buri wese akagumana umutongo we
bwite.

If dissolution occurs, the community property is

shared equally, in accordance with the regulations for
community of property, and each spouse keeps
his/her personal property.

10

En cas de dissolution du rgime de la

communaut rduite aux acquts, les acquts
seront partags par parts gales conformment
aux rgles tablies pour la communaut
universelle, et chaque poux conservera ses
biens propres.

Icyiciro cya 3: Ibyerekeye ivanguramutungo Section 3: Separation of property regime

risesuye

Section 3: Rgime de la sparation des

biens

Ingingo ya 12: Icungwa ryumutungo Article 12: Management of property in the Article 12 : Gestion des biens des poux
wabashyingiranywe
mu
buryo separation of property regime
maris sous le rgime de la sparation des
bwivanguramutungo risesuye
biens
Mu buryo bwivanguramutungo risesuye,
abashyingiranywe baba bafite ububasha bwo
gucunga, kwikenuza, kutanga no kugurisha uko
bashatse umutungo wabo, bapfa gusa kubahiriza
inshingano zo gutanga ibitunga urugo zikomoka
ku isezerano ryo gushyingirwa.

In the separation of property regime, each spouse has

the powers of administration, enjoyment and free
disposal of his/her personal property provided they
comply with the obligation of contributing to the
household expenses resultalting from the contract of
marriage.

En cas de rgime de la sparation des biens,

chaque poux a ladministration, la jouissance
et la disposition de tous ses biens pourvu
quils respectent leur obligation de contribuer
aux charges du menage resultant du contrat de
mariage.

Iyo umwe mu bashyingiranywe adashoboye If a spouse does not have proof of exclusive
kubona gihamya ko umutungo runaka ari uwe ku ownership of any property, it shall be deemed joint
giti cye, uwo mutungo ufatwa nkaho bombi property, shared equally by the two spouses.
bawufanije mu buryo bungana.

Le bien sur lequel aucun des poux ne peut

justifier de son droit exclusif de proprit est
prsum appartenir aux deux indivisment,
chacun pour moiti.

Ingingo ya 13: Ubutumwa bwo gucunga Article 13: Delegation of power to administer Article 13 : Mandat dadministration du
umutungo
patrimony
patrimoine
Iyo umwe mu bashyingiranywe mu buryo
bwivanguramutungo risesuye ahaye uwo
bashyingiranywe ubutumwa bwo kumucungira
umutungo,
amategeko
rusange
agenga
amasezerano yubutumwa niyo akurikizwa.

Under the regime of separation of property, when

one of the spouses transfers the right of
administration of his/her patrimony to the other
spouse during the marriage, the laws governing
powers of attorney shall apply.

Si, pendant le mariage, l'un des poux maris

sous le rgime de la sparation des biens
confie l'autre l'administration de son
patrimoine, les rgles du mandat sont
applicables.

Ingingo ya 14: Iyishyurwa ryimyenda

Article 14: Payment of debts

Article 14 : Payement des dettes

Buri wese mu bashyingiranywe mu buryo Each spouse is liable for personal debts contracted Chacun des poux reste seul tenu des dettes
bwivanguramutungo risesuye afite inshingano before or during the marriage, unless s/he has nes en sa personne avant ou pendant le
zo kwishyura ubwe imyenda yafashe mbere contracted them for the benefit of the family.
mariage, hors le cas o il les a contractes
11

cyangwa nyuma yisezerano ryo gushyingirwa,

keretse iyo iyo myenda yayifashe ku nyungu
zurugo.

pour lintrt du mnage.

Umwenda bahuriyeho bawishyura bombi ku Common debts are borne equally by each spouse.
mutungo wa buri wese kandi mu buryo bungana.

La dette commune est paye par parts gales

par chaque poux sur son patrimoine propre.

Ingingo ya 15: Iseswa ryivanguramutungo Article 15: Dissolution of the separation of Article 15 : Dissolution du rgime
risesuye
property regime
Iyo ivanguramutungo risheshwe, buri wese mu If dissolution occurs, each spouse retains the right to En cas de dissolution du rgime de sparation
bashyingirwanywe yegukana umutungo we his/her personal property.
des biens, chacun rentre en proprit de tous
bwite.
ses biens.
UMUTWE
WA
II:
INGINGO CHAPTER II: PROVISIONS COMMON TO CHAPITRE
II:
DISPOSITIONS
ZIHURIWEHO
MU
MICUNGIRE ALL MATRIMONIAL REGIMES
COMMUNES
AUX
REGIMES
YUMUTUNGO WABASHYINGIRANYWE
MATRIMONIAUX
Ingingo ya 16: Uburenganzira ninshingano Article 16: Rights and duties of the spouses Article 16 : Des droits et obligations
zabashyingiranywe bikomoka ku isezerano arising from the marriage
matrimoniales des poux
ryugushyingirwa
Hatitawe ku buryo bwo gucunga umutungo,
abashyingiranywe
bagomba
kubahiriza
uburenganzira ninshingano byabo bikomoka ku
isezerano ryo gushyingirwa, amategeko agenga
ububasha bwa kibyeyi, icungwa ryumutungo
wumwana ryemewe namategeko nayerekeye
ubwishingire.

Notwithstanding the matrimonial regime, spouses

benefit from certain rights and must fulfill certain
duties arising from the marriage, including the rights
and duties of parental authority, legal administration
and trusteeship.

Quel que soit le rgime matrimonial, les

poux sont tenus aux droits et devoirs qui
rsultent pour eux du seul fait du mariage
ainsi qu'aux rgles qui prsident l'exercice
de l'autorit parentale, de l'administration
lgale et de la tutelle.

Ingingo ya 17: Kwandikisha uburyo Article 17: Recording the matrimonial regime in Article 17 : Inscription du rgime
bwimicungire
yumutungo the marriage registry
matrimonial dans le registre des actes de
wabashyingiranywe mu gitabo cyinyandiko
mariage
yabashyingiranywe
12

Mbere yo kuranga abagomba gushyingirwa no

gukora isezerano ryugushyingirwa, umwanditsi
wirangamimirere asobanurira abagiye gukora
iryo sezerano, imiterere ya buri buryo umutungo
wabashyingiwe ucungwamo agamije kubafasha
guhitamo ububanogeye.

Before publishing the banns and drafting the

marriage contract, the Civil Status Officer shall
explain the various matrimonial regimes to the future
spouses and allow them to choose one.

Avant la publication des bans et la rdaction

du contrat de mariage, l'Officier de l'tat civil
explique aux futurs poux, aux fins de choix,
la
teneur
des
diffrents
rgimes
matrimoniaux.

Ku munsi wimihango yo gusezerana, uburyo On the day of the civil marriage, the matrimonial Le choix du rgime est inscrit, au jour de la
bwo gucunga umutungo abashyingiranywe regime chosen is recorded in the marriage registry clbration du mariage, au registre des actes
bahisemo bwandikwa mu gitabo cyandikwamo and on the marriage certificate.
de mariage ainsi que dans l'acte de mariage.
abashyingiranywe ndetse no munyandiko
yabashyingiranywe.
Ingingo ya 18: Itangazwa ryamasezerano yo Article 18: Notification of marriage contract for Article 18 : Publication du contrat de
gushyingirwa kwabacuruzi
business people
mariage des commerants
Iyo umwe mu bashyingiranywe ari umucuruzi
mu gihe cyimihango yo gusezerana cyangwa
akaba we nyuma, amasezerano yo gushyingirwa
nibyaba byakosoweho bitangazwa hakurikijwe
amategeko akoreshwa mu bucuruzi no ku
bacuruzi.

Where one of the spouses is or subsequently becomes

a business person during the marriage, the contract of
marriage and any modifications shall be published in
accordance with the Company Law.

Si l'un des futurs poux est commerant lors

de la clbration du mariage ou le devient
ultrieurement, le contrat de mariage et ses
modifications
doivent
tre
publis
conformment la lgislation applicable en
matire commerciale et aux commerants.

Ingingo
ya
19:
Guhitamo
uburyo Article 19: Choice of matrimonial regime by Article 19 : Choix du rgime matrimonial
bwimicungire
yumutungo authorized minors and legally incompetent par le mineur autoris ou majeur en tutelle
wabashyingiranywe ku bana bakiri bato persons of full age
bahawe uburenganzira cyangwa abakuze
bishingiwe
Iyo umwe mu bashyingiranywe ari umwana muto
wahawe
uburenganzira,
ahitamo
uburyo
bwimicungire yumutungo wabashyingiranywe
abigiriwemo inama nufite ububasha bwa
kibyeyi.

When one of the spouses is a minor authorized to

marry, his/her choice of matrimonial regime shall be
done upon the advice of the person exercising
parental authority over him/her.

13

Lorsque l'un des futurs poux est un mineur

autoris, il choisit son rgime matrimonial,
sur avis de la personne qui exerce sur lui
l'autorit parentale.

Umuntu mukuru wishingiwe cyangwa wahawe

umufasha ntashobora guhitamo uburyo bwo
gucunga
umutungo
wabashyingiranywe
atabifashijwemo numwishingizi we cyangwa
umugira inama.
Ingingo
ya
20:
bwimicungire
wabashyingiranywe

When one of the spouses is of full age but under Le majeur en tutelle ou sous conseil judiciaire
trusteeship or assistance, s/he shall choose a ne peut pas choisir son rgime matrimonial
matrimonial regime with the assistance of his/her sans lassistance de son tuteur ou de son
trustee or adviser.
conseiller.

Guhindura
uburyo Article 20: Modification of the matrimonial Article 20 :
yumutungo regime
matrimonial

Abashyingiranywe bombi iyo babisabye bakiri

kumwe, uburyo bwimicungire yumutungo
wabashyingiranywe bushobora guhindurwa.
Bagomba kugaragaza ko iryo hinduka risabwe ku
nyungu zurugo cyangwa impinduka zikomeye
zabayeho mu mibereho yabo cyangwa mu
mibereho yumwe muri bo.

During the marriage, the matrimonial regime may be

modified upon the request of spouses. Modification
shall be required by interests of household or by
important changes occur in spouses situation or in
the situation of one of them.

Changement

du

rgime

A la demande conjointe des poux durant le

mariage, le rgime matrimonial peut tre
modifi. Les poux doivent prouver que la
modification est exige par l'intrt du
mnage ou par des changements importants
survenus dans leur situation respective ou
dans celle de l'un d'eux.

Ikirego gitangwa mu buryo bwikirego gitanzwe Request shall be submitted under a unilateral request La requte est introduite sous forme de
numuburanyi umwe mu rukiko rubifitiye procedure before a competent court where the requte unilatrale devant le tribunal
ububasha
rukorera
mu
ifasi
yaho spouses reside.
comptent du lieu de rsidence des poux.
abashyingiranywe baba.
Iyo urukiko rwanze ku buryo budasubirwaho In case of a final decision rejecting the request, any
icyo cyifuzo, abashyingiranywe ntibashobora other request shall not be resubmitted before the
kongera kubisaba hadashize imyaka ibiri kandi expiration of two (2) years, and upon new elements.
bishingiye gusa ku ngingo nshya.

En cas de dcision dfinitive de rejet de la

demande, celle-ci ne peut tre rintroduite
qu'aprs deux ans et pour autant qu'elle
s'appuie sur des lments nouveaux.

Ingingo ya 21: Kwandikwa kwihinduka Article 21: Recording modifications of the Article 21: Inscription de la modification
ryuburyo
bwimicungire
yumutungo matrimonial regime
du rgime matrimonial
wabashyingiranywe
Mu gihe cyukwezi uhereye igihe icyemezo Within one month of when the final decision Dans le dlai d'un mois compter de la date
kidagishoboye kujuririrwa cyo guhindura uburyo modifying the regime is made, the applicant shall laquelle la dcision dfinitive de modification
bwimicungire yumutungo wabashyingiranywe request that the Court Clerk send the ruling to the du rgime matrimonial est intervenue et n'est
14

cyafatiweho, bisabwe nuwatanze ikirego, Civil Status Officer of the place where the civil plus susceptible de recours, l'ordonnance s'y
icyemezo cyumucamanza kirebana niryo marriage occurred for transcription on the marriage rapportant est, la diligence du demandeur,
hinduka gishyikirizwa numwanditsi wurukiko, certificate.
transmise par le greffier de la juridiction
umwanditsi wirangamimerere ukorera mu ifasi
l'Officier de l'tat civil du lieu de conclusion
yaho imihango yo gushyingirwa yabereye kugira
du contrat de mariage aux fins de sa mention
ngo byandikwe mu nyandiko yabasezerana.
dans l'acte de mariage.
Ni no muri cyo gihe cyukwezi kandi, icyemezo
cyumucamanza
cyo
guhindura
uburyo
bwimicungire yumutungo wabashyingiranywe
kigomba kwandikwa mu gitabo cyabacuruzi,
kikanatangazwa mu binyamakuru bibiri bisomwa
cyane mu gihugu, ku mafaranga yubisaba, iyo
umwe mu bashyingiranywe ari umucuruzi.

Within the same period, if one of the spouses is a

business person, the ruling shall also be recorded in
the trade registry and published in two of the most
widely-read newspapers in the country at the expense
of the applicant spouse.

Dans le mme dlai, lorsque l'un des poux

est un commerant, l'ordonnance de
changement du rgime matrimonial doit tre
inscrite sur son registre de commerce et doit
tre publi dans deux des journaux les plus lus
du pays, aux frais de l'poux demandeur.

Ababerewemo umwenda bashobora gusaba ko

ibyahinduwe mu masezerano yo gushyingirwa
bitabagiraho ingaruka iyo babona byarabangirije.
Babisaba mu gihe cyumwaka umwe ubarwa
uhereye igihe bamenyesherejwe izo mpinduka.

If creditors are prejudiced by the modification to the

marriage contract, within one year of the date they
were informed of the modification, they may request
not to be bound by the changes.

Les cranciers, sils en subissent prjudice,

peuvent dans le dlai dun an compter du
jour o ils ont eu connaissance des
modifications apportes au contrat de
mariage, les faire dclarer inopposable leur
gard.

Ingingo ya 22: Ukwamburwa uburenganzira Article 22: Divestment of the right to administer Article
22 :
Dchance
du
bwo gucunga umutungo
patrimony
dadministration du patrimoine
Hatitawe ku buryo bwimicungire yumutungo,
iyo umwe mu bashakanye abangamiye inyungu
zurugo, kwaba kutita ku mutungo wumuryango
ndetse nuwe bwite, cyangwa kuwupfusha ubusa,
ashobora kwakwa ububasha bwo kuwucunga,
kuwikenuza, kuwutanga no kuwugurisha,
bisabwe nuwo bashakanye cyangwa undi wese
waba abifitemo inyungu.

Notwithstanding the matrimonial regime, if one of

the spouses compromises the interests of the
household by depreciating family patrimony or
his/her own property, s/he may be divested of the
rights of administration, enjoyment and disposal of
his/her patrimony upon request by the other spouse
or any interested third party.

droit

Peu importe le rgime matrimonial, lorsque

l'un des poux compromet les intrts du
mnage, soit en laissant dprir le patrimoine
familial ou son patrimoine propre, soit en le
dilapidant, il peut, la demande de son
conjoint ou d'un tiers intress, tre dchu des
droits d'administrer, de jouir et de disposer de
son patrimoine propre.

Ikirego gitangwa mu buryo bwikirego gitanzwe Requests shall be submitted as a unilateral petition of La requte est introduite sous forme de
15

numuburanyi umwe mu rukiko rubifitiye one of the spouses before a competent court at the requte unilatrale la Juridiction comptente
ububasha
rukorera
mu
ifasi
yaho place where the spouses reside.
du lieu de rsidence des poux.
abashyingiranywe baba.
Uretse igihe bibaye ngombwa ko urukiko
rushyiraho ucunga umutungo, umucamanza aha
umwe
mu
bashyingiranywe
wabisabye,
uburenganzira bwo gucunga umutungo bwite
wuwambwambuwe, maze agafata ibyabyawe
nuwo mutungo mu gukemura ibibazo byurugo,
ibisigaye akabizigama.

Unless it is necessary to appoint a judicial

administrator, the applicant spouse shall be awarded
the right to administer the divested spouses personal
property and use the profits for the benefit of the
household; any excess profits shall be saved.

A moins qu'il ne soit ncessaire de nommer

un administrateur judiciaire, le jugement
confre au conjoint demandeur, le pouvoir
d'administrer les biens propres de l'poux
dessaisi et d'en percevoir les fruits qu'il utilise
pour couvrir les charges du mnage;
l'excdant constituant des conomies.

Uwambuwe ubwo bubasha ashobora gusaba The divested spouse may subsequently petition the
urukiko gusubirana ububasha bwo gucunga court for restoration of his/her rights once the
umutungo we iyo agaragaje ko impamvu zari underlying cause of the divestment no longer exists.
zateye umucamanza kubumwambura zitakiriho.

Lpoux dchu pourra, par la suite, demander

la mme juridiction la mainleve de la
dchance, s'il prouve que les causes qui
lavaient justifie nexistent plus.

Ingingo ya 23: Uguseswa kwuburyo Article 23: Dissolution of matrimonial regime

bwimicungire
yumutungo
wabashyingiranywe

Article 23 :
matrimonial

Uburyo
bwimicungire
wabashyingiranywe buseswa
zikurikira :

Les rgimes matrimoniaux se dissolvent par:

yumutungo Matrimonial regimes are dissolved by:

ku mpamvu

Dissolution

du

rgime

1 gutana kwabashyingiranwe;

1 divorce;

1 le divorce;

2 guhindura uburyo bwicunga-mutungo;

2 modification;

2 le changement de rgime matrimonial ;

3 urupfu rwumwe mu bashyingiranywe.

3 death of one of the spouses.

3 le dcs.

Ingingo ya 24: Imicungire yumutungo Article 24: Matrimonial regimes for foreigners Article 24 : Rgimes matrimoniaux des
wabashyingiranywe babanyamahanga baba residing in Rwanda
trangers rsidant au Rwanda
mu Rwanda
16

Uburyo
bwimicungire
yumutungo
wabashyingiranywe babanyamahanga baba mu
Rwanda bugengwa nitegeko ryigihugu bafitiye
ubwenegihugu, cyangwa itegeko ryu Rwanda,
niba nta bwenegihugu buzwi bafite.

The matrimonial regime for any foreigner residing in

Rwanda shall be determined by his/her national law,
or by Rwandan law in case his/her nationality is
unknown.

INTERURO III: IMPANO ZITANZWE MU TITLE III: FAMILY DONATIONS

RWEGO RWUMURYANGO

Le rgime matrimonial de ltranger rsidant

au Rwanda est rgi par la loi du pays auquel il
appartient ou, dfaut de nationalit connue,
par la loi rwandaise.

TITRE
III :
LIBERALITES
CARACTERE FAMILIAL

UMUTWE
WA
MBERE:
INGINGO CHAPTER ONE: COMMON PROVISIONS CHAPITRE PREMIER: DISPOSITIONS
ZIHURIWEHO NIMPANO ZITANZWE FOR FAMILY DONATIONS
COMMUNES AUX LIBERALITES A
MU RWEGO RYUMURYANGO
CARACTERE FAMILIAL
Ingingo ya 25: Impano itanzwe mu rwego Article 25: Definition of family donations
rwumuryango

Article 25 : Dfinition de la libralit

caractre familial

Impano itanzwe mu rwego rwumuryango Family donations are made by authentic deed, written Une libralit caractre gnral peut tre
ishobora gukorerwa inyandiko mpamo cyangwa agreement or simple transfer.
faite par actes authentique ou sous-seing priv
inyandiko bwite cyangwa igashyikirizwa gusa
ou par simple tradition.
nyirayo.
Ingingo ya 26:
Ikoreshwa ryamategeko Article 26: Application of contract law to family Article 26: Application du droit des
agenga amasezerano ku mpano zitanzwe mu donations
contrats aux libralits caractre familial
rwego rwumuryango
Amategeko arebana nubushobozi bwo gukorana
nundi amasezerano narebana nibisabwa kugira
ngo inyandiko zigire agaciro niyo akoreshwa ku
mpano zitanzwe mu rwego rwumuryango,
hubahirijwe amategeko agenga imicungire
yumutungo wabashakanye.

Legal provisions relating to capacity to contract and

the validity of deeds are applicable to family
donations in conformity with the regulations of
matrimonial regimes.

17

Les dispositions lgales relatives la capacit

de contracter et aux conditions de validit des
actes s'appliquent aux libralits caractre
familial, dans le respect des dispositions
rgissant les rgimes matrimoniaux.

Ingingo ya 27: Kwemera impano zitanzwe mu Article 27: Consent to family donations
rwego rwumuryango

Article 27 : Consentement la libralit

caractre familial

Mu gihe cyivangamutungo rusange, impano

yose yikintu kivuye mu mutungo wumuryago
ikozwe numwe mu bashyingiranywe igomba
kwemezwa nundi. Ni nako bigenda mu gihe cyo
kwemera impano.

En cas de rgime de la communaut

universelle, pour tous les actes de donation
dun bien de la famille par lun des poux,
l'accord de lautre poux est requis. Ce
consentement est galement requis pour
lacceptation dune donation.

In case of community property regime, any donation

of a family property by one of the spouses requires
consent of the other. Consent is also required for
acceptance of such a donation.

Ingingo ya 28: Umugabane wibishobora Article 28: Transferable quota in family donations Article 28: Quotit disponible pour les
gutangwa
libralits caractre familial
Yubahirije
amategeko
agenga
uburyo
bwimicungire
yumutungo
yahisemo,
uwashyingiwe wese afite uburenganzira bwo
gutanga impano, apfa kutarenza umugabane
wibyo ashobora gutanga.

Each spouse has the right to make donations in

accordance with the rules governing the applicable
matrimonial regime, provided that s/he does not
exceed the transferable quota.

Tout conjoint a le droit de faire des libralits

dans le respect des rgles prvues par son
rgime matrimonial, pourvu qu'elle ne
dpasse pas la quotit disponible.

Hatitawe
ku
buryo
bw'icungamutungo,
umugabane w'ibishobora gutangwa ntushobora
kurenga 1/5 cy'umutungo w'utanga iyo afite
abana, 4/5 bikaba ibizungurwa bizigamirwa
abana.

Notwithstanding the chosen matrimonial regime, if

the donor has children, the transferable quota shall
not exceed 1/5 of the patrimony, and the remaining
4/5 of patrimony shall comprise the successoral
reserve, designated for the children.

Quel que soit le rgime matrimonial choisi, la

quotit disponible ne peut dpasser le 1/5 du
patrimoine du donateur s'il a des enfants, les
4/5 du patrimoine constituant la rserve
successorale pour ces derniers.

Nyamara iyo uzungurwa nta bana afite ariko uwo

bashakanye
akaba
akiriho,
umugabane
wibishobora gutangwa ntushobora kurenga
cyumutungo we, ikindi kikagira ibizungura
bizigamirwa uwo bashakanye, agomba kugabana
nabandi bazungura hitawe ku mategeko agenga
uburyo izungura ritangwa.

When the donor has a spouse but has no children, the

transferable quota shall not exceed 1/2 of his/her
patrimony, and the remaining 1/2 shall be reserved
for the spouse, to be shared with other heirs in
accordance with the rules on devolution of
succession.

Toutefois, si le donateur n'a pas d'enfants,

mais a un conjoint, la quotit disponible ne
peut excder la moiti de son patrimoine,
lautre moiti constituant la rserve
successorale du conjoint, partager avec les
autres hritiers dans le respect des rgles de la
dvolution successorale.

Ibizungurwa bizigamirwa bibarwa bashingiye ku The successoral reserve shall be comprised of the La rserve successorale se calcule sur base de
mutungo wutanga havanywemo imyenda yari personal patrimony of the donor less any debts the la diffrence entre lactif du patrimoine du
18

afite umunsi impano yatangwaga.

donor owes on the date of donation.

Ingingo ya 29: Inkurikizi zimpano zitanzwe Article 29: Effects of a family donation
mu rwego rwumuryango

donateur et ses dettes au jour de la libralit.

Article 29 : Effet de la libralit caractre

familial

Impano zitanzwe mu rwego rwumuryango A family donation takes effect on the date of La libralit caractre familial ne produit
zibyara inkurikizi ku munsi zemeweho. Uzemera acceptance by the donee. Acceptance shall be done d'effet qu'au jour de son acceptation. Celle-ci
ashobora kubikora mu nyandiko cyangwa mu verbally or in writing.
peut tre verbale ou crite.
mvugo.
Uguha umuntu uburenganzira ku mutungo The transfer of ownership of movable or immovable
wimukanwa cyangwa utimukanwa ugiye property shall be done in accordance with general
gutangwa bikorwa hakurikijwe amategeko laws on the matter.
asanzwe.

Le transfert du droit de proprit sur le bien

meuble ou immeuble sujet libralit se
ralise selon les dispositions du droit
commun.

Ingingo ya 30: Kubura agaciro kwimpano Article 30: Nullity of family donations
zitanzwe mu rwego rwumuryano

Article 30:Nullit des libralits caractre

familial

Impano yose ita agaciro iyo:

Est nulle :

Family donations shall be void if:

1 impano
yose
itanzwe
mu
rwego
rwumuryango ku buryo ishyirwa mu
bikorwa ryayo rishingira kugushaka
kwuwayitanze wenyine;

1 the donation is made, but is conditional upon a

circumstance within the discretion of the donor;

1 toute libralit caractre familial

soumise des conditions dont l'excution
dpend de la seule volont du donateur ;

2 iyo ishingiye ku mpamvu;

2 the donation is based on discriminatory criteria;

2 toute liberalit base sur les critres

discriminatoires;

3 iyo itegeka uyihawe kuriha imyenda

yuyitanze cyangwa ibindi agomba, bitariho
cyangwa bitagaragajwe mu nyandiko
yimpano;

3 the beneficiary is required to pay extraneous

debts or charges of the donor unless they are
mentioned in the act of donation; or

3 la libralit caractre familial qui

impose au bnficiaire de payer des
dettes ou charges du donateur, autres que
celles qui existaient l'poque de la
donation ou qui seraient exprimes dans
l'acte de donation;

19

4 iyo utanga impano hagati yabazima

yisigiramo uburenganzira bwo gutanga
cyangwa kugurisha kimwe cyangwa byinshi
mu bintu yatanze.

4 the donor gives an inter vivos gift but retains the

right to dispose of any of the rights or items
donated.

Ingingo ya 31: Iseswa ryimpano yatanzwe Article 31: Revocation of family donations
mu rwego rwumuryango

4 toute libralit entre vifs caractre

familial dans laquelle le donateur se
rserve le droit de disposer d'un ou de
plusieurs biens donns.
Article 31: Rvocation de la donation de
caractre familial

Impano
ikozwe
hagati
yabagamije Donations between future spouses are revocable Les donations entre les futurs poux sont
gushyingiranwa ishobora guseswa iyo iryo whenever the marriage does not occur.
rvocables toutes les fois que le mariage n'est
shyingirwa ritabayeho.
pas clbr.
Impano yose ikozwe mu rwego rwumuryango
iseswa ku mpamvu zikurikira:

Any donation shall be revocable for the following Toute donation de caractre familial est
reasons:
rvocable pour cause :

1 Iyo uhabwa yanze kubahiriza inshingano

yari yarahawe ziyiturutseho;

1 the donee fails to fulfill any of the obligations 1 dinexcution par le donataire des
required under the terms of the donation; or
obligations sous lesquelles elle a t
faite ;

2 Ubuhemu bwuwahawe.

2 ingratitude.

2 dingratitude.

Ingingo ya 32: Ikirego gisaba gusesa impano Article 32: Legal action to revoke family Article 32: Action en rvocation de la
yatanzwe mu rwego rwumuryango
donations
donation de caractre familial
Ikirego gisaba gusesa impano kigomba gutangwa
mu gihe cyumwaka uhereye igihe impamvu iryo
seswa risabirwa yabereyeho cyangwa igihe
nyirukurisaba yayimenyeyeho.

In order to revoke a family donation, the donor must

initiate legal action within one year of when the
offence was committed or when the donor was
notified of the offence.

L'action en rvocation de la donation doit tre

introduite dans le dlai d'un an partir du jour
o la faute reproche a t commise ou du
jour o le donateur en a eu connaissance.

Icyo kirego ni gatozi kuwatanze kandi

ntashobora kugitanga aryoza abazungura buwo
yahaye. Nyamara rero iyo uwatanze apfuye yari
yarakigejeje
mu
rukiko,
abamuzungura
bashobora kugikomeza mu izina rye.

This action is personal to the donor and s/he cannot

sue heirs for revocation. However, if the donor dies
after he/she files the action, his/her heirs may
continue the claim in the name of the deceased.

Cette action est personnelle au donateur et

celui-ci ne peut lexercer contre les hritiers
du donataire. Toutefois si le donateur est
dcd aprs avoir intente cette action, ses
hritiers peuvent la continuer en son nom.

20

Ingingo ya 34: Inkurikizi ziseswa ryimpano Article 34: Effects of revocation of a family Article 34 : Effet de la rvocation de la
yatanzwe mu rwego rwumuryango
donation
donation de caractre familial
Iyo impano ishehwe, uwahawe ategekwa If revocation occurs, the donee shall return anything La rvocation de la donation oblige le
gusubiza ibyo yari yarahawe ku bwamasezerano s/he received by virtue of the donation to the donor.
donataire restituer au donateur ce quil a
yimpano.
reu en vertu du contrat.
Nyamara, ntashobora gutegekwa gusubiza
agaciro kibyo na we yatanze cyangwa
yagurishije mbere yo gushyikiriza urukiko
ikirego. Ntategekwa kandi gusubiza ibyo yabyaje
iyo mpano cyangwa izindi nyungu izo ari zo zose
yakuye kuriyo.

However, the donee shall not be required to

compensate the donor for the value of any items,
other benefits and fruits thereof that were disposed of
before the action of revocation is instituted.

Nanmoins, il ne peut tre condamn

restituer la valeur des objets de la donation
alins avant lintroduction de cette action, ni
les fruits et autres bnfices de toute sorte
qu'il en a tirs.

Iyo uwahawe hari ibyo yakoze kugira ngo

yongera agaciro kimpano yahawe arabisubizwa
igihe isheshwe. Iryo seswa ntacyo ribangamiraho
abahawe ingwate ku bintu byari byaratanzwe
kimwe nabafite ubundi burengeanzira kuri byo.

If a donation is revoked, the donee shall be

reimbursed for expenses made to improve the
property, as well as any payments or charges made
for the benefit of the property.

La rvocation de la donation ne peut porter

prjudice aux frais exposs par le donataire
pour la mise en valeur du bien faisant objet de
la donation, aux gages et aux autres charges
qu'il aurait imposs sur l'objet de la donation.

Ingingo ya 35: Amategeko akurizwa ku Article 35: Applicable law for inter vivos Article 35 : La loi applicable aux libralits
mpano hagati yabashyingiranwe bakiriho donations by foreigners living in Rwanda or by entre vifs des poux contenant un lment
umwe
ari
umunyamahanga
cyangwa Rwandans living abroad
dextranit
abanyarwanda bari mu mahanga
Impano hagati
zigengwa:

yabashyingiranwe

bakiriho Inter vivos donations by spouses are regulated as Les libralits entre vifs des poux sont
follows:
rgies :

1 ku byerekeranye nuko ziteye, nitegeko

ryigihugu zakorewemo. Nyamara impano
zikozwe ku buryo bwinyandiko bwite
zishobora gukorwa hakurikijwe amategeko
yibihugu abazigirana bakomokamo.

1 Procedures shall be governed by the laws of the

country in which the donation is executed.
However, donations by private written
agreement may be concluded according to the
national law one of the parties.
21

1 quant la forme, par la loi du lieu o ils

sont faits. Nanmoins, les libralits
faites sous seing priv peuvent tre
passes dans les normes galement
admises par les lois nationales de toutes

les parties.
2 ku byerekeye icyo zivuga, inkurikizi
nibimenyetso byazo, nitegeko ryaho
zakorewe keretse abazikoranye babishatse
ukundi.

2 Unless the parties stipulate otherwise, the

substance, effects, and any applicable
evidentiary rules shall be governed by the law of
the place where the donation is concluded.

UMUTWE WA II: UBWOKO BWIMPANO CHAPTER

II:
ZITANZWE
MU
RWEGO DONATIONS
RWUMURYANGO
Ingingo ya 36: Ubwoko bwimpano

TYPES

OF

2 quant leur substance, leurs effets et

leur preuve, sauf stipulation contraire
des parties, par la loi du lieu o elles
sont conclues.

FAMILY CHAPITRE
II :
LIBERALITES
A
FAMILIAL

Article 36: Types of family donations

Impano zitanzwe mu rwego rwumuryango ni izi The only types of family donations shall be:
zikurikira:

Article 36 : Types de libralits caractre

familial
Les seules libralits caractre familial sont:
1

1 Itanga ryibintu mu rwego rwumuryango

hagati yabazima;

1 inter vivos family donations;

2 Itanga ryumunani;

2 ascending partition; and

3 Itanga ryumurage.

3 legacy.

Umurage usobanurwa mu
ningingo zigenga izungura.

gice

TYPES
DE
CARACTERE

les donations entre vifs caractre

familial;

le partage d'ascendant;

le legs.

kirebana The provisions relating to legacies are found in the Cependant, le legs est trait au point relatif
Section on wills.
aux dispositions testamentaires

Icyiciro cya mbere: Impano hagati yabazima

Section One: Inter vivos family donations

Section premire : Donations entre vifs

caractre familial

Ingingo ya 37: Itegeko rigenga impano hagati Article 37: Law regulating inter vivos family Article 37: Loi rgissant les donations entre
yabazima
donations
vifs caractre familial
Haseguriwe ibyateganywa ukundi niri tegeko, Subject to the exceptions established by the present Sous rserve des exceptions tablies par la
impano zikozwe mu rwego rwumuryango hagati Law, inter vivos family donations are regulated by prsente loi, les donations entre vifs
22

yabazima zigengwa
agenga amasezerano.

namategeko

rusange contract law.

Icyiciro cya 2: Itangwa ryumunani

caractre familial sont rgies par le droit

commun des contrats.

Section 2: Ascending partition

Section 2 : Partage d'ascendant

Ingingo ya 38: Uburenganzira ku itanga Article 38: Right to ascending partition

ryumunani

Article 38 : Droit au partage dascendant

Abana bose nta vangura hagati y'abahungu

n'abakobwa
abariho n'abahagarariye
abo
bakomokaho bapfuye mbere y'ababyeyi babo,
uretse abaciwe kubera kwitwara nabi cyangwa
guhemuka, bagira uburenganzira ku munani.

Tous les enfants sans discrimination aucune

entre ceux de sexe masculin et ceux de sexe
fminin, encore en vie o dfaut, les
descendants de ceux dcds avant leurs
parents, lexclusion des enfants dchus pour
cause dinconduite ou dingratitude, ont droit
au partage fait par leurs ascendants.

Ingingo ya
yumunani

39:

Without discrimination between males and females,

all children, or their descendants if children
predecease their parents, have a right to ascending
partition, except those deprived of this right due to
misconduct or ingratitude.

Uburyo bwimitangire Article 39: Modalities of ascending partition

Article 39 :
dascendant

Modalits

du

partage

Umunani utangwa ku bushake bwumubyeyi mu Ascending partition is given voluntarily by parents Le partage dascendant se fait au gr de
buryo bwimpano cyangwa bwizungura.
either by donation or will.
lascendant sous forme de donation ou sous
forme de testament.
Iyo umunani watanzwe mu buryo bwimpano,
abawuhawe bahita begukana ku buryo
budasubirwaho uburenganzira kuri wo. Nyamara
ibi ntibibuza ko habaho iseswa ritegetswe
nurukiko ku mpamvu zubuhemu bwuwahawe.

When it is done by donation, ownership is

immediately and definitely transferred to the
descendants. However, the donation can be revoked
for ingratitude.

Lorsquil se fait sous forme de donation, les

descendants recueillent immdiatement et de
faon irrvocable les biens de leurs parents
encore en vie. Cependant, la rvocation
judiciaire pour ingratitude est applicable dans
ce cas.

Iyo umunani watanzwe mu buryo bwizungura,

umubyeyi agabanya ibintu bu buryo bushobora
guseswa, nyamara irage rigatangira gukurikizwa
burundu ari uko umubyeyi warikoze apfuye.

When it is done by a will, the testator revocably

shares his/her patrimony with the descendants, and
the ascending partition shall take full effect upon
his/her death.

Lorsquil se fait sous forme de testament,

lascendant rpartit ses biens de manire
rvocable, mais le testament naura deffet
dfinitivement quau dcs de lascendant
testateur.

23

Ingingo ya 40: Ibintu bitagabanijwe mu itanga Article 40: Sharing property not given by Article 40 : Partage des biens non disposs
ryumunanai
ascending partition
par partage dascendant
Ibintu
ababyeyi
batatanzeho
umunani
bigabanywa hakurikijwe amategeko agenga
izungura nta rage ku munsi wurupfu
rwababyeyi.

Any property the parents do not give by ascending

partition shall be divided upon the death of the
second parent according to the other rules of
succession or the terms of a valid will.

Les biens dont les parents nauraient pas

disposs par partage dascendant se partagent
au dcs des parents selon les rgles de la
succession lgale.

Umwana wanze kuzungura, agumana ibintu A descendant who renounces any inheritance during
yahaweho umunani.
succession shall keep any property received by Cependant, si un descendant renonce la
ascending partition.
succession, il conserve ce quil a reu dans le
partage dascendant.
Ingingo ya 41: Ikirego kigamije kugabanya Article 41: Action to reduce the shares of other Article 41 : Action en rduction
ibyatanzwe
beneficiaries
Umwana utarabonetse mu itangwa ryumunani
cyangwa wahawe ibintu bigaragarira bose ko ari
bike ku byo yagombaga kubona ashobora
gutanga ikirego kigamije kuganya ibyatanzwe
niba nta bintu byasigaye yahabwaho umunani
cyangwa byakuzuza umugabane we.

A descendant who does not receive property in an

ascending partition, or who has received a manifestly
smaller share, may initiate an action to reduce the
shares of the other beneficiaries if the property
remaining in the estate or patrimony is insufficient to
provide his/her respective portion.

Le descendant qui na pas concouru au

partage dascendant ou qui a reu un lot
manifestement infrieur sa part peut exercer
laction en rduction sil nexiste pas des
biens non compris dans le partage et suffisant
pour composer ou complter sa part.

Ikirego kigamije kugabanya ibyatanzwe kizima

mu myaka ibiri uhereye ku munsi itangwa
ryumunani ryabereyeho, cyangwa ku munsi
umwana yabimenyeho, iyo afite imyaka
yubukure, no ku munsi yaboneyeho ubukure iyo
ari umwana ukiri muto.

This action is barred after two years from the date of

partition or the date the descendant was notified of it,
or if the descendant is a minor, from the date s/he
reaches full age.

Laction en rduction se prescrit par deux ans

compter pour les personnes majeures du jour
du partage ou du jour o le descendant a eu
connaissance de ce partage, et pour les
personnes mineures compter du jour de leur
majorit.

INTERURO YA IV: IZUNGURA

TITLE IV: SUCCESSION

TITRE IV: SUCCESSIONS

Ingingo ya 42: Uko izungura rikorwa

Article 42: Forms of succession

Article 42 : Formes de successions

24

Izungura rya nyakwigendera rishobora gukorwa Succession of the de cujus shall be wholly or
nta rage cyangwa ku buryo bwirage ku bintu partially intestate and/or testamentary.
byose cyangwa bimwe muri byo.
Ibintu nyakwigendera atatanzeho umurage Any property the de cujus does not give away by will
bigabanywa hakurikije amategeko agenga is devolved according to the provisions applicable to
izungura nta rage.
intestate succession.

UMUTWE WA
RYIZUNGURA
KUZUNGURA

MBERE:

La succession du de cujus peut tre ab intestat

ou testamentaire, en tout ou en partie.
Les biens dont le de cujus n'a pas dispos par
testament sont dvolus conformment aux
dispositions sur la succession ab intestat.

ITANGIRA CHAPTER ONE: COMMENCEMENT OF CHAPITRE PREMIER: OUVERTURE

NABEMERA SUCCESSION AND PERSONS ENTITLED TO DES SUCCESSIONS ET QUALITE
SUCCEED
REQUISE POUR SUCCEDER

Icyiciro cya mbere: Itangira ryizungura

Section One: Commencement of succession

Section
premire :
successions

Ingingo ya 43: Itangira ryizungura

Article 43: Commencement of succession

Article 43 : Ouverture de la succession

Izungura rya nyakwigendera ritangira iyo amaze

gupfa, rikabera aho atuye cyangwa yabaga.

Succession commences upon the death of the de La succession dune personne s'ouvre par son
cujus, at his/her domicile or residence.
dcs, au lieu de son domicile ou de sa
dernire rsidence.

Ouverture

des

Ritangizwa kandi nurubanza rutangaza urupfu If the de cujus is absent or has disappeared, it may Elle souvre aussi par le jugement dclaratif
iyo habayeho kuzimira cyangwa kubura.
also commence with a court decision declaring de dcs en cas dabsence ou de disparition.
him/her dead.
Nyuma
yitangira
ryizungura,
ugomba After succession commences, the liquidator is Aprs louverture de la succession, il est
kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa atoranywa mu appointed under the conditions provided in Article procd la dsignation du liquidateur dans
buryo bwateganijwe mu ngingo 76.
76.
les conditions prvues larticle 76.
Izungura nta buzima gatozi rifite. Rihagararirwa The succession shall not have legal personality, but La succession na pas de personnalit
imbere yinkiko nushinzwe kwegeranye the liquidator shall represent the estate before the juridique. Elle est reprsente devant les
umutungo uzungurwa
courts.
juridictions par le liquidateur.

25

Icyiciro cya 2: Abemerewe kuzungura

Section 2: Persons entitled to succeed

Section 2 : Qualits requises pour succder

Ingingo ya 44: Abahamagarirwa kuzungura

Article 44: Persons entitled to succeed

Article 44 : Personnes appeles la

succession

Ushobora kuzungura ni umuntu ku giti cye wari

waravutse igihe izungura ryatangiraga. Utari
uhari na we ashobora kuzungura iyo agifatwa
nkutarapfa, kimwe numwana ukiri mu nda iyo
abashije kuvuka ari muzima.

Natural persons alive at the moment succession

commences are eligible to inherit property, including
any absent persons assumed to be alive at the time, as
well as any unborn children of the de cujus who are
born alive.

Peuvent succder, les personnes physiques qui

existent au moment de louverture de la
succession, y compris labsent prsum vivant
cette poque, et lenfant conu condition
quil naisse vivant.

Leta, nibindi bigo bya leta cyangwa

byabikorera ku giti cyabo bifite ubuzimagatozi
bashobora kuzungura iyo ibizungurwa bigizwe
numutungo ushobora gutungwa nabo.

The State and other public or private entities with

legal personality may also be entitled to succeed to
property under a will, within the constraints allowed
by Rwandan law.

LEtat, les autres personnes morales de droit

public ou de droit priv dans la limite des
biens quelles peuvent possder, peuvent
recevoir par testament.

Ingingo ya 45: Uburinganire bwabana mu Article 45: Equal treatment of children in Article 45: Egalit des enfants en matire
izungura
succession
de successions
Abana amategeko mbonezamubano yemera ko All children of the de cujus, as defined by the Civil
ari aba nyakwigendera bazungura ku buryo Code, shall inherit in equal parts without any
bungana nta vangura hagati y'umwana discrimination between male and female children.
w'umuhungu n'uw'umukobwa.

Tous les enfants du de cujus en vertu des lois

civiles lui succdent par parts gales sans
discrimination aucune entre ceux de sexe
masculin et ceux de sexe fminin.

Ingingo ya 46: Uzungura cyangwa uhabwa Article 46: Succession by a legal heir or legatee
umurage

Article 46: Hritier ou lgataire la

succession

Guhera ku umunsi izungura ryatangiriyeho, iyo

abyemeye, yitwa umuzungura cyangwa uwahawe
umurage, umuzungura wese ufite uburenganzira
bwo kuzungura cyangwa wahawe umurage.

Est hritier ou lgataire depuis louverture de

la succession, pour autant quil accepte, le
successible qui est dvolue la succession ab
intestat ou celui qui reoit par testament.

A legal heir or legatee is anyone entitled to succeed

the de cujus by intestate succession or will, starting
from the day succession commences, so long as s/he
does not renounce the right.

Ingingo ya 47: Kwamburwa nta mpaka Article 47: Automatic deprivation of succession Article 47 : Indignit de plein droit dans la
uburenganzira bwo kuzungura
rights
succession
26

Yamburwa nta mpaka uburenganzira bwo A legal heir or a legatee is automatically deprived of Est indigne de succder et, comme tel, exclu
kuzungura, umuzungura cyangwa uhabwa succession rights and is excluded from the de plein droit de la succession, l'hritier lgal
umurage wese:
liquidation of the estate of the de cujus if he/she:
ou le lgataire qui :
1 wakatiwe ninkiko kuba yarishe abishaka
cyangwa
yaragambiriye
kwica
nyakwigendera;
2 wakatiwe ninkiko kuba yarabeshyeye
cyangwa
yaratanzeho
nyakwigendera
ubuhamya bwibinyoma bwashoboraga
gutuma akatirwa ninkiko igifungo nibura
cyamezi atandatu;

1 is convicted of intentionally killing the de cujus,

or of attempting to kill him/her;

3 yarataye nkana umwana we, cyangwa

yaramushoye mu busambanyi cyangwa se
yaramugiriye igikowa cyiterasoni.

3 has deliberately abandoned his/her child,

exposed him/her to sexual exploitation or
sexually abused him/her.

Icyemezo cyurukiko cyonyine kirahagije kugira

ngo umuzungura wemewe nitegeko cyangwa
uhabwa umurage wakoze ibyaha byavuzwe mu
gika kibanziriza iki, avanwe mu bazungura.
Ingingo ya 48: Gushobora
uburenganzira bwo kuzungura

2 is convicted of a false accusation or perjury that

could have resulted in the de cujus being
sentenced to at least six months imprisonment;
or

1 a t condamn pour avoir caus

intentionnellement la mort ou voulu
attenter la vie du de cujus ;
2 a t condamn pour dnonciation
calomnieuse ou faux tmoignage
quaurait pu entraner l'encontre du de
cujus une condamnation une peine
d'emprisonnement de six mois au moins;
3 a dlibrment abandonn son enfant, la
expos lexploitation sexuelle ou a
attent sa pudeur.

A court judgment convicting the legal heir or legatee Le jugement de condamnation suffit pour
of the mentioned offences is sufficient to deprive carter doffice l'hritier lgal ou le lgataire
him/her of the right to succeed to property in the coupable de lune de ces infractions.
estate.

kwamburwa Article 48: Optional depravation of succession Article 48 : Indignit facultative dans la
rights
succession

Ashobora kwamburwa uburenganzira bwo Any legal heir or legatee may be deprived of Peut tre dclar indigne de succder,
kuzungura, umuzungura wese wemewe nitegeko succession rights if s/he has:
l'hritier lgal ou le lgataire qui :
cyangwa uwahawe umurage wese:
1 wacanye umubano wa kibyeyi
nyakwigendera igihe yari akiriho;

na

1 deliberately broken off the parental relationship

with the de cujus during his/her lifetime;

1 du vivant du de cujus, a volontairement

rompu les relations parentales avec lui ;

2 wirengagije kwita kuri nyakwigendera mu

burwayi bwabanjirije urupfu rwe kandi yari
abikeneye;

2 deliberately failed to provide needed care to the

de cujus during his/her last days of illness;

2 lors de la dernire maladie du de cujus, a

dlibrment nglig de lui apporter des
soins alors quil en avait besoin;

27

3 witwaje
ubushobozi
buke
bwa
nyakwigendera, ari ubwo mu mutwe
cyangwa ku mubiri, akiharira igice cyangwa
umurage wose;

3 abused the physical or mental incapacity of the

de cujus by wrongfully taking the whole or part
of the inheritance; or

3 abusant de l'incapacit physique ou

mentale du de cujus, a accapar tout ou
partie de l'hritage;

4 warigishije nkana, yaracagaguye cyangwa

wangije irage rya nyuma rya nyakwigendera
atabimwemereye,
cyangwa
wihaye
uburenganzira
agendeye
ku
irage
ryavanweho cyangwa ryataye agaciro.

4 intentionally disposed, destroyed or altered the

last will of the de cujus without his/her consent,
or took advantage of a will that was revoked or
became void.

4 intentionnellement a fait disparatre,

dtruit ou altr le dernier testament du
de cujus sans l'assentiment de celui-ci ou
qui s'est prvalu d'un testament rvoqu
ou devenu caduc.

Ufite uburenganzira bwo kuzungura wese

ashobora, mu gihe cyumwaka uhereye ku munsi
izungura ryatangiriyeho cyangwa ku munsi
yamenyeyeho imwe muri izi mpamvu, gusaba
urukiko rubifitiye ububasha kwambura ugomba
kuzungura cyangwa ugomba guhabwa umurage,
wakoze rimwe mu makosa yavuzwe mu gika
kibanziriza iki. Ikirego gitangwa mu buryo
bwikirego gitanzwe numuburanyi umwe.

If a person entitled to succession believes a legal heir

or legatee is guilty of one of the faults mentioned in
the previous paragraph, s/he may request a competent
court to deprive the heir or legatee of the right to
succeed; this action is barred after one year from the
commencement of succession or the date the person
was notified of one of those faults. The request is
made through a petition by one of the other
heirs/legatees.

Tout successible peut, dans lanne qui suit

louverture de la succession ou la
connaissance dune de ces causes, demander
la juridiction comptente de dclarer
lindignit de lhritier ou du lgataire
coupable de lune de ces fautes. La requte est
introduite sous forme de requte unilatrale.

Ingingo ya 49: Kwirengagiza impamvu Article 49: Circumstances that do not result in Article 49 :
lindignit
zambura uburenganzira bwo kuzungura
deprivation of right to succeed
Iyo mbere yo gupfa, nyakwigendera wari uzi
impamvu yashoboraga gutera kwamburwa
uburenganzira bwo kuzungura, yagize icyo aha
uwagombaga kubwamburwa cyangwa ntahindure
impano yamuhaye, nyamara yarashoboraga
kubikora, uzungura ntiyamburwa uburenganzira
bwo kuzungura.

An heir shall not be deprived of the right to succeed

to property of the de cujus if the de cujus gave a
legacy to an heir who s/he knew could be deprived of
succession rights under the previous Article, or when
the de cujus did not change the donation while s/he
had the capacity to do so.

Non

considration

Lhritier nest pas indigne de succder et ne

peut tre dclar tel si le dfunt, connaissant
la cause dindignit, la nanmoins avantag
ou na pas modifi la libralit, alors quil
aurait pu le faire.

Ingingo ya 50: Inkurikizi zo kwamburwa Article 50: Effects of deprivation of succession Article 50 : Effet de lindignit
uburenganzira bwo kuzungura
rights
28

de

Uwambuwe uburenganzira bwo kuzungura

avanwa mu
mubare
wabazungura
ba
nyankwigendera.
Umugabane
yagombaga
kubona wongerwa ku migabane yabazungura
basigaye.

Any person who is deprived of succession rights Celui qui est dclar indigne est exclu de la
shall not succeed to any property of the de cujus. The succession du de cujus. La part qui devait lui
share to which s/he was entitled shall devolve to the revenir accroit la part des autres hritiers.
other successors.

Nyamara rero, uwambuwe uburenganzira bwo

kuzungura abuzwa gusa kuzungura umutungo
wuwo yahemukiye, ariko ashobora kuzungura
undi mutungo wumuryango.

However, this exclusion does not prohibit the person

from succeeding to other family property; the person
is only deprived of the right to succeed the de cujus
against whom s/he committed the offences.

Nanmoins, cette exclusion ne sapplique

qu la succession mme du de cujus envers
qui a t commise la faute prvue par la loi, et
non toute autre succession de la famille.

Uzungura cyangwa uhabwa umurage wakuwe

mu mubare wabazungura kubera kwamburwa
uburenganzira bwo kuzungura, ategetswe
gusubiza ibyabyawe byose numutungo yikenuje
kuva ku munsi umurage watangiriyeho.

The heir or the legatee who is deprived of the right to

succeed to property must return all the fruits accrued
from the property s/he acquired as of the day the
succession commenced.

Lhritier ou le lgataire exclu de la

succession pour cause dindignit est tenu de
rendre tous les fruits et tous les revenus dont il
a eu la jouissance depuis louverture de la
succession.

UMUTWE
WA
BWIZUNGURA

II:

UBWOKO CHAPTER II: TYPES OF SUCCESSIONS

CHAPITRE
SUCCESSIONS

II:

TYPES

Icyiciro cya mbere: Izungura rikozwe ku Section one: Testamentary succession and legacy
buryo bwirage numurage

Section
premire :
testamentaires et legs

Akiciro ka mbere: Irage

Sous section premire: Testaments

Sub-Section One: A Wills

DE

Successions

Ingingo ya 51: Ubushobozi bwuraga cyangwa Article 51: Capacity of the testator or the legatee
uhabwa umurage

Article 51 : Capacit du testateur ou du

lgataire

Umuntu wese ufite ubushobozi busabwa

namategeko ashobora kuraga igice cyangwa
umutungo we wose. Uwo muntu agomba kuba
afite ubwo bushobozi mu gihe yakoraga irage.

Toute personne ayant la capacit requise peut

disposer par testament tout ou partie de ses
biens. La capacit du testateur se considre au
temps de ltablissement de son testament.

Any person with the required legal capacity may give

away all or part of his/her property by a will. The
testators capacity to create a valid will is determined
at the time the will is executed.

Uhabwa umurage we agomba kuba afite ubwo The legatee is also obliged to possess such capacity Pour le lgataire, la capacit sapprcie au
29

bushobozi ku munsi wo kwemera irage.

at the time of accepting the property given to him/her jour de lacceptation du testament.
by the will.

Ku mwana ukiri muto cyangwa ku muntu

mukuru watswe ubushobozi, kwemera irage
bikorwa
hubahirijwe
amategeko
agenga
uguhagararira abadafite ubushobozi.

A minor or incapacitated persons acceptance of a Lacceptation dun testament par le mineur ou

will shall be carried out in conformity with laws majeur interdit se fait dans le respect des
relating to legal representation of incapacitated rgles de la reprsentation des incapables.
persons.

Ingingo ya 52 Ubwoko bwirage

Article 52: Types of wills

Irage rishobora gukorwa:

The following types of wills are recognized under the Le testament peut tre :
law:

Article 52: Formes de testament

1 mu nyandiko bwite;

1 holographic;

1 olographe ;

2 imbere yabazungura bazigamirwa;

2 made before the

successoral reserve;

3 imbere yabahamya; cyangwa

3 made before witnesses; and

3 fait devant tmoins ; ou

4 mu nyandiko mpamo.

4 authentic.

4 authentique.

beneficiaries

Ingingo ya 53: Irage rikozwe mu nyandiko Article 53: Holographic wills

bwite

of

the

2 fait devant hritiers rservataires ;

Article 53: Testament olographe

Irage rikozwe mu nyandiko bwite ni irage A holographic will is entirely handwritten, dated and Le testament olographe est celui qui est crit
ryanditswe
ryose
na
nyirukurikora, signed by the testator.
en entier de la main du testateur, dat et sign
akarishyiraho itariki numukono bye.
par lui.
Iyo utanga irage atazi kwandika cyangwa nta If the testator cannot write or is unable to draft or Dans le cas o le testateur ne sait pas crire
bushobozi afite bwo kwandika no bwo gushyira sign his/her will, s/he can appoint someone to do it ou, le sachant mais se trouve dans l'incapacit
umukono ku irage, ashobora kwihitiramo on his/her behalf.
de rdiger ou de signer son testament, il peut
uryandika mu mwanya we.
dsigner celui qui l'tablira pour lui.
Kugira ngo ridata agaciro, irage rikozwe mu A will drafted according to the previous paragraph Le testament ainsi rdig par un tiers doit
30

buryo bwavuzwe mu gika kibanziriza iki, will not be valid unless it is certified by the Civil peine de nullit, tre lgalis par l'Officier de
rigomba
kwemezwa
numwanditsi Status Officer or a public notary in presence of the l'tat civil ou par le notaire du lieu de sa
wirangamimerere, cyangwa ushinzwe guhamya testator and in the jurisdiction where it was drafted.
rdaction, en prsence du testateur.
inyandiko bakorera mu ifasi yaho ryakorewe
uraga ahibereye.
Ingingo ya 54: Irage rikorewe
yabazungura bazigamirwa

imbere Article 54: Will made before the beneficiaries of Article 54: Testament devant hritiers
the successoral reserve
rservataires

Irage
rikorewe
imbere
yabazungura
bazigamirwa ni irage ryanditswe nuraga
cyangwa undi muntu imbere yabazungura
bazigamirwa bashoboye kuboneka nabahamya
nibura babiri bakuru. Uraga ashyira umukono
kuri iryo rage cyangwa akariteraho igikumwe
imbere yabazungura bazigamiwe nabahamya,
maze nabo bakarishyiraho umukono cyangwa
igikumwe, uraga ahibereye.
Ingingo ya 55:
yabahamya

A will made before the beneficiaries of the

successoral reserve is prepared by the testator or by
any other person in the presence of the beneficiaries
of the reserve who are present and at least two other
adult witnesses. The testator shall endorse the will
with his/her signature or thumbprint in the presence
of the witnesses and beneficiaries. The witnesses
shall also sign it in the presence of the testator.

Irage rikorewe imbere Article 55: Will made before witnesses

Le testament devant hritiers rservataires est

celui qui est crit par le testateur ou par un
tiers en prsence de tous les hritiers
rservataires disponibles et dau moins deux
tmoins majeurs. Le testateur signe ce
testament ou y appose son empreinte digitale
en prsence des hritiers rservataires et des
tmoins, qui le signent respectivement, en
prsence du testateur.
Article 55: Testament devant tmoins

Irage rikorewe imbere yabahamya ni irage The will made before witnesses is prepared by the Le testament devant tmoins est celui qui est
ryanditswe nuraga cyangwa nundi muntu testator or another person in the presence of at least crit par le testateur ou par un tiers en
imbere yabahamya bakuru nibura bane.
four adult witnesses.
prsence d'au moins quatre tmoins majeurs.
Uraga arishyiraho umukono cyangwa akariteraho
igikumwe
imbere
yabahamya,
nabo
bakarishyiraho umukono cyangwa igikumwe
uraga ahiberereye.

The testator shall endorse the will with his/her Le testateur le signe ou y appose son
signature or thumbprint in the presence of the empreinte digitale en prsence des tmoins,
witnesses. The witnesses shall then sign the will in qui le signent galement, en prsence du
the testators presence.
testateur.

Iyo uraga atazi gusoma no kwandika, irage

rishobora gukorwa, imbere yabahamya, nundi
muntu uraga yihitiyemo maze akarishyiraho
umukono. Nyamara kugira ngo ridata agaciro,

If the testator cannot read or write, s/he can appoint

someone to sign the will on his/her behalf. A will
made in such a manner shall be certified by the Civil
Status Officer or the public notary in the presence of
31

Lorsque le testateur ne sait ni lire ni crire, il

peut faire rdiger son testament par un tiers,
devant tmoins, qui le signe en prsence du
testateur. Cependant, le testament ainsi rdig

irage rikozwe muri ubwo buryo rigomba the testator in the jurisdiction where the will was doit peine de nullit, tre lgalis par
kwemezwa numwanditsi wirangamimerere executed.
l'Officier de l'tat civil ou par le notaire du
cyangwa umwanditsi uhamya inyandiko ukorera
lieu de sa rdaction, en prsence du testateur.
mu ifasi yaho irage ryakorewe maze
akarishyiraho umukono imbere yuraga.

Ingingo ya 56: Irage mpamo

Article 56: Authentic will

Article 56: Testament authentique

Irage mpamo ni irage rikorerwa nuraga imbere An authentic will is made by the testator before the
yumwanditsi uhamya inyandiko cyangwa Civil Status Officer or the public notary of his/her
imbere yumwanditsi wirangamimerere waho residence or domicile.
atuye cyangwa aba.

Le testament authentique est celui tabli par le

testateur soit devant le notaire, soit devant
l'Officier de l'tat civil de son domicile ou de
sa rsidence.

Umwanditsi wirangamimerere cyangwa uhamya

inyandiko abika inyandiko yumwimerere
akandika mu gitabo cyabugenewe itariki irage
ryakoreweho, amazina yuraga, naho atuye
cyangwa aho abarizwa.

The Civil Status Officer or the public notary shall

keep the original document and record the date on
which the will was made along with the testators
name and residence or domicile in the appropriate
register.

Si le testament est tabli devant l'Officier de

l'tat civil ou le notaire, celui-ci en garde
l'original et inscrit dans un registre des
testaments la date laquelle celui-ci t
tabli ainsi que les noms et le domicile ou la
rsidence du testateur.

Iyo
nyandiko
yumwimerere
nigitabo The original document and the register shall be
cyandikwamo irage bibikwa mu ibanga kandi confidential until the testator dies, at which time only
ntawe ushobora kumenya ibyanditswemo uraga concerned persons will be allowed to access them.
atarapfa kandi bikamenyeshwa gusa abarebwa
nirage bonyine.

Cet original et le registre sont confidentiels et

ne peuvent tre consults qu'aprs la mort du
testateur et par les seules personnes
concernes par le testament.

Ingingo ya 57: Irage rikozwe mu nyandiko Article 57: Multiple wills

nyinshi

Article 57: Testaments multiples

Ibiteganywa n'irage bishobora gushyirwa Testamentary provisions may be found in several

munyandiko
zumurage
nyinshi
kandi wills which, to the extent possible, shall be executed
zikubahirizwa icyarimwe mu buryo bwose jointly.
bushobotse.

Les dispositions testamentaires peuvent tre

contenues dans plusieurs testaments qui sont
excuts, dans la mesure du possible,
conjointement.

32

Iyo ibiteganywa n'imirage ibiri cyangwa myinshi Where the provisions of two or more wills are Lorsque les dispositions de deux ou plusieurs
bibangamiranye, hubahirizwa ibikubiye mu irage incompatible, the most recently drafted will shall testaments ne sont pas compatibles, la
riherutse gukorwa.
prevail.
prfrence est donne aux dispositions
contenues dans le testament le plus rcent.
Ingingo ya 58: Ivanwaho ryirage

Article 58: Revocation of a will

Article 58: Rvocation du testament

Irage rishobora kuvanwaho ryose cyangwa igice The testator may revoke his/her will in whole or in Tout testament peut tre rvoqu en tout ou en
cyaryo n'uwaraze, mu buryo bumwe n'ubusabwa part by following the same requirements necessary to partie par le testateur, dans les formes
kugira ngo irage rigire agaciro.
execute a valid will.
requises pour sa validit.
Ivanwaho ryirage ritesha agaciro iryo rage. Revocation explicitly nullifies a will. If no other will
Izungura ryumutungo wa nyakwigendera is executed, the estate of the de cujus shall devolve
rikorwa hakurikijwe amategeko agenga izungura by intestate succession.
nta rage niba nta rindi rage ryigeze rikorwa.

La rvocation produit comme effet

lanantissement du testament. La succession
des biens du de cujus, si aucun autre testament
na t tabli, se fait alors suivant les rgles de
la succession lgale.

Ingingo ya 58: Gushyiraho

umutungo uzungurwa

Article 58: Dsignation de lexcuteur

testamentaire

ugabanya Article 58: Appointment of an liquidator

Uraga ashobora gushyiraho umuntu umwe The testator may appoint one or several liquidators to Le testateur peut dsigner un ou plusieurs
cyangwa benshi bashinzwe kwegeranya no liquidate the estate.
excuteurs testamentaires qui sont chargs
kugabagabanya umutungo uzungurwa.
d'assurer la liquidation de la succession.
Akiciro ka 2: Itanga ryumurage

Sub-Section 2: Legacy

Sous section 2: Legs

Ingingo ya 59: Ubwoko bwimirage

Article 59: Types of legacies

Article 59 : Sortes de legs

Umurage ushobora gukorwa ku bintu byose, ku A legacy can be universal, of general title or of Le legs peut tre universel, titre universel ou
bintu bimwe cyangwa ku bintu bizwi :
particular title:
titre particulier:
1 umurage kuri byose ni umurage uha
nyirukuwuhabwa
uburenganzira
ku
mutungo wose amategeko yemerera uraga
gutanga;

1 a universal legacy gives to one or many persons

the entire amount of the testators patrimony
that s/he is allowed to give away by law;
33

1 le legs universel est celui qui donne une

ou plusieurs personnes vocation
recueillir la totalit des biens que la loi
lui permet de disposer;

2 umurage kuri bimwe ni umurage uha

nyirukuwuhabwa uburenganzira ku gice
kimwe cy'umutungo amategeko yemerera
uraga gutanga;

2 a legacy by general title gives one or many

persons a share of the portion of the testators
patrimony that s/he is allowed to give away by
law;

2 le legs titre universel est celui qui

donne une ou plusieurs personnes
vocation recueillir une quote-part des
biens que la loi lui permet de disposer;

3 umurage ku bintu bizwi ni umurage uha

nyirukuwuhabwa uburenganzira ku kintu
cyangwa ibintu bizwi mu mutungo w'uraga.

3 a legacy by particular title gives one or many

persons particular things from the testators
patrimony.

3 le legs titre particulier est celui qui

donne une ou plusieurs personnes droit
recueillir un ou des biens dtermins du
patrimoine du testateur.

Iyo hariho abazungura bazigamirwa, umurage If there are any beneficiaries of the successoral
kuri byose ugarukira ku bintu uraga yemerewe reserve, the extent of a universal legacy or legacy by
gutanga. Ninako bigenda iyo umurage ukozwe ku general title is limited to the transferable quota.
gice kimwe cyumutungo.

En
prsence
dhritiers
rservataires,
luniversalit du legs se limite la quotit
disponible. De mme la quote-part en cas de
legs titre universel se calcule dans le respect
de la quotit disponible.

Umurage wibintu byabandi uba imfabusa.

Any legacy of another persons property shall be Le legs de la chose dautrui est nul.
void.

Ingingo ya 60: Abagenerwa umurage

Article 60: Beneficiary of legacy

Article 60 : Bnficiaires du legs

Buri murage ugomba kugaragaza uwo ukorewe.

Every legacy shall indicate to whom it is given.

Tout legs doit indiquer au profit de qui il est

institu.

Ingingo ya 61: Uragwa

Article 61: Legatees

Article 61 Lgataires

Uragwa umutungo wose cyangwa igice

cyumutungo azungura ku munsi izungura
ryatangiriyeho, iyo yemeye umurage. Afatanya
nabandi bazungura kwishyura imyenda nizindi
nshingano za nyakwigendera.

So long as they do not renounce the legacy, legatees

by universal legacy or general title shall succeed to
property from the time succession commences. They
are liable for debts and charges left by the de cujus.

Le lgataire universel ou titre universel

succde ds louverture de la succession, pour
autant quil accepte le legs. Il est tenu aux
dettes et charges du de cujus.

Uragwa ikintu kimwe cyangwa byinshi we A legatee by particular title shall not be liable for the Le lgataire particulier nest pas tenu aux
ntabwo ategekwa kurangiza inshingano za obligations of the de cujus. However, s/he shall obligations du dfunt. Cependant, il ne reoit
34

nyakwigendera. Gusa abona icyo yahaweho receive legacies following the order established sa libralit que dans le respect de lordre
umurage hakurikijwe urutonde ruteganywa mu under Article 67.
tabli larticle 67.
ngingo ya 67.
Ingingo ya 62: Kuraga abakene

Article 62: Legacy to the poor

Article 62 : Legs aux pauvres

Iyo umuntu araze abakene bo mu gace runaka,

uwo murage ufatwa numuyobozi wumurenge
batuyemo igihe cyo kwegeranya umutungo
uzungurwa, maze akawushyikiriza ba nyirawo.

When the testator bequeaths his/her property to the

poor of a given place, the legacy shall be collected by
the Sector at the time of liquidation, which shall give
it to the legatees.

Si un testateur lgue ses biens aux pauvres

d'une rgion donne, le legs leur attribu est
recueilli, au moment de la liquidation de la
succession, par leur Secteur qui le remet aux
lgataires.

Iyo araze umuntungo we abakene batazwi,

umurage uhabwa abakene batuye mu murenge
nyakwigendera yari atuyemo cyangwa aho
yabaga iyo ari umunyamahanga.

Where the testator bequeaths his or her property to

poor in general, the legacy shall be deemed to be for
the benefit of poor living in the Sector of the de
cujus, or the residence of the de cujus, if s/he was a
foreigner.

Si le testateur lgue ses biens aux pauvres en

gnral, le legs est cens devoir profiter aux
pauvres du Secteur qu'habitait le de cujus ou
ceux du lieu o le dfunt de nationalit
trangre avait sa rsidence.

Iyo uraga ntaho aba mu Rwanda, umurage ufatwa

na minisiteri ifite imibereho myiza mu nshingano
zayo, ikazawusaranganya abawukeneye kurusha
abandi.

Where the testator has no residence in Rwanda, the

bequeathed legacy is collected by the Ministry in
charge of Social Affairs, which shall distribute it to
the neediest in the country.

Si le testateur na pas de rsidence au

Rwanda, le legs sera recueilli par le ministre
ayant les affaires sociales dans ses
attributions, qui le distribuera aux plus
ncessiteux du pays.

Ingingo ya 63: Inkurikizi zumurage

Article 63: Effects of legacy

Article 63 : Effet des legs

Ibintu byarazwe nibigengwa nabyo, ibyabyawe

nabyo byose nindishyi zabyo zo mu bwishingizi
bihabwa uwarazwe ku munsi irage ritangiriyeho.

From the commencement of succession, legatees

shall enjoy the bequeathed property and its
appurtenances, fruits, revenues and entitlements to
indemnity.

Le bien lgu ainsi que ses accessoires, les

fruits, revenus et indemnits dassurance de ce
bien profitent au lgataire compter de
louverture de la succession.

Irage rikorewe ababerewemo imyenda ntabwo A legacy to a creditor shall not be presumed to be Le legs au crancier nest pas prsum fait en
rifatwa nkirihwanisha umwenda.
payment for the testators debts.
compensation de sa crance.

35

Ingingo ya 64: Guta agaciro kumurage

Article 64: Obsolete legacy

Article 64 : Caducit du legs

Umurage uta agaciro iyo:

A legacy becomes obsolete in the following cases:

Le legs est caduc dans les cas suivants :

1 iyo uwahawe umurage apfuye mbere

yuwaraze,
uretse
igihe
ashobora
guhagararirwa;

1 if the legatee predeceases the testator, unless

the legatee can be represented by his/her own
descendants in accordance with the law;

1 lorsque le lgataire na pas survcu au

testateur, sauf sil y a lieu
reprsentation ;

2 iyo
icyari
cyaratanzweho
cyangiritse cyose uraga akiriho;

umurage

2 if, while the testator is still alive, the

bequeathed property is completely destroyed;
or

2 si le bien lgu a totalement pri du

vivant du testateur ;

3 iyo uragwa yanze umurage cyangwa

habayeho
impamvu
zituma
yakwa
uburenganzira bwo kwakira umurage.

3 if the legatee renounces the legacy or is

deprived of it.

3 si le lgataire y renonce ou lorsquil

est indigne de le recevoir.

Ingingo ya 65: Iseswa ryumurage

Article 65: Revocation of legacy

Article 65 : Rvocation du legs

Uraga ashobora gusesa umurage wose cyangwa The testator may revoke a legacy in whole or in part Tout legs peut tre rvoqu en tout ou en
igice cyawo mu buryo bwateganijwe kugira ngo by following the same requirements for executing a partie par le testateur, dans les formes
ugire agaciro.
valid legacy.
requises pour sa validit.
Umurage wakorewe uwo bashakanye mbere yo
gutandukana useswa nta mpaka iyo habayeho
cyicyemezo cyurukiko cyemera ubutane.

A legacy made for a spouse is automatically revoked Le legs fait au conjoint antrieurement au
by a court judgment for divorce.
divorce est rvoqu de plein droit par le
jugement de divorce.

Icyiciro 2: Izungura nta rage

Section 2: Intestate Succession

Ingingo ya 66: Igisobanuro cyizungura nta Article 66: Definition of intestate succession
rage

Section 2: Successions ab intestat

Article 66 : Dfinition de la succession ab
intestat

Izungura nta rage ni izungura rikorwa Intestate succession, or succession ab intestat, is La succession lgale appele ab intestat est
hakurikijwe itegeko, iyo nta rage ryabayeho.
succession that occurs by law when no will exists.
une succession ouverte conformment la loi,
dfaut de testament.
36

Ingingo ya 67: Urutonde rwabazungura Article 67: Order of regular heirs

bahoraho

Article 67 : Ordre des hritiers rguliers

Mu izungura hakurikizwa urutonde rukurikira:

Les hritiers viennent succession dans

l'ordre suivant :

Heirs inherit property in the following order:

1 abana ba nyakwigendera;

1 children of the deceased;

1 les enfants du de cujus ;

2 se na nyina ba nyakwigendera;

2 father and mother of the deceased;

2 le pre et la mre du de cujus;

3 abavandimwe
ba
nyakwigendera
basangiye ababyeyi bombi;

3 brothers and sisters of the deceased;

3 les frres et surs germains du de

cujus ;

4 abavandimwe
ba
nyakwigendera
basangiye umubyeyi umwe;

4 half-brothers and half-sisters of the deceased;

4 les demi-frres et demi-surs du de

cujus ;

5 ba sekuru na nyirakuru ba nyakwigendera;

5 grandparents of the deceased;

5 les grands-parents du de cujus;

6 ba se wabo, ba nyirasenge, ba nyirarume

na ba nyina wabo ba nyakwigendera.

6 paternal and maternal uncles and aunts of the

deceased.

6 les oncles et tantes paternels et

maternels.

Haseguriwe ibiteganywa ningingo ya 61 yiri Each level in the succession order excludes the ones Chaque rang exclut les autres dans l'ordre de
teko, buri rwego rw'abazungura ruzitira izindi mu below it, with the exceptions provided by Article 61 la succession, sauf les exceptions prvues par
rutonde rw'izungura.
of this Law.
larticle 61 de la prsente loi.
Abana ba nyakwigendera basangiye ababyeyi Children of both parents inherit on both the paternal
bombi bazungura mu gisekuru cya se nicya and maternal sides, while those who share one parent
nyina, naho abana bahuje umubyeyi umwe gusa inherit only on the side of that parent.
bazungura mu gisekuru cyumubyeyi wabo gusa.

Les enfants germains du dfunt succdent

dans la ligne paternelle et maternelle, les
enfants utrins ou consanguins succdent dans
leur ligne seulement.

Ingingo ya 68: Ihagararira mu izungura

Article 68 : Reprsentation la succession

Article 68: Representation in succession

Uretse se na nyina ba nyakwigendera, iyo Apart from the father and mother of the deceased, the Hormis les pre et mre du dfunt, les
abazungura ba nyakwigendera cyangwa abo successors or legatees of the deceased who hritiers et les lgataires morts avant le de
37

yahaye
umurage
bapfuye
mbere
ye, predecease him/her are represented in succession by
bahagararirwa mu izungura nababakomokaho. their descendants. Representation is unlimited among
Ku bakomoka kuri nyakwigendera, iryo direct descendants and is by generation.
hagararirwa ntirigira aho rirangirira kandi
igabana rikorwa hakurikijwe igisekuru.

cujus, sont reprsents la succession par

leurs descendants. La reprsentation a lieu
linfini dans la ligne directe descendante et le
partage sopre par souche.

Abana
buwambuwe
uburenganzira
bwo Children of an heir deprived of the right to inherit or
kuzungura nabuwanze izungura ntibashobora who renounced an inheritance cannot represent their
guhagararira umubyeyi wabo; bazungura ku parent; however, they may inherit in their own right.
bwabo.

Les enfants de lindigne ou du renonant ne

peuvent pas succder par reprsentation de
leur auteur ; ils ne peuvent venir cette
succession que de leur chef.

Nyamara Inama ishinzwe ibyizungura igira icyo However, the succession council shall determine a Toutefois, le conseil de famille dtermine une
ibagenera mu mutungo uzungurwa.
portion of the property to be inherited to give to those portion du patrimoine successible allouer
children.
ces enfants.
Ingingo ya 69: Urutonde rwabazungura Article 69: Order of irregular heirs
badahoraho

Article 69 : Ordre des hritiers irrguliers

Uwapfakaye azungurana nabazungura bo rwego

rwa kabiri. Iyo ntabahari azungurana nabo mu
rwego rwa gatatu, bityo bityo. Iyo nta muzungura
usigaye azungura umutungo wose wa
nyakwigendera.

The surviving spouse succeeds together with the

heirs of the second level. In the absence of heirs at
the second level, s/he succeeds together with heirs of
the third level, and so forth. In the absence of any
other legal heirs, s/he succeeds to the whole
patrimony of the de cujus.

Si le de cujus a laiss un conjoint survivant,

celui-ci succde en concours avec les hritiers
du deuxime ordre. En labsence des hritiers
du deuxime ordre, il vient en concours avec
les hritiers du troisime ordre, ainsi de suite.
En labsence de tout hritier, il succde en
totalit le patrimoine du de cujus.

Hatitawe ku buryo bwicunga mutungo

wabashakanye, uwapfakaye uje mu izungura
azungura icya kabiri cyumutungo wa
nyakwigendera, ikindi cyakabiri kikagenerwa
abandi bazungura.

Notwithstanding the matrimonial regime, the

surviving spouse shall inherit half of the property of
the deceased, and the other half goes to the other
successors.

Sans distinction de rgime matrimonial, le

conjoint survivant qui vient en concours hrite
de la moiti des biens du dfunt, lautre moiti
revenant aux autres hritiers.

Ingingo ya 70: Uburyo izungurwa rikorwamo

Article 70: Succession Models

Article 70 : Modalits de la succession

Abashyingiranwe

bafitanye

amasezerano Succession for spouses married under the community Pour la succession des conjoints maris sous
38

yivangamutungo rusange bazungurwa mu buryo property regime shall be carried out as follows:
bukurikira:

le rgime de la communaut universelle, la

succession seffectue selon les modalits
suivantes :

1 iyo umwe apfuye usigaye yegukana icya

kabiri (1/2) cyumutungo bari basangiye
nkuburenganzira akura ku masezerano
akura ku masezerano yo gucunga umutungo
yari yarahisemo kandi agafatanya nabandi
bazungura kuzungura umutungo wa
nyakwigendera nkuko biteganyijwe mu
ngingo ya 70 yiri tegeko;

1 if one of the spouses dies, the surviving spouse

shall take half (1/2) of the common property by
right of the matrimonial regime and shall
succeed to the other half along with the
deceaseds other heirs, as provided in Article 70
and the following provisions of the present
Article of this Law;

1 en cas de dcs de lun deux, lpoux

survivivant recueille la moiti (1/2) du
patrimoine commun comme droit attach
au rgime matrimonial et vienne la
succession de lautre moiti en concours
avec les autres successibles du de cujus
comme il est prvu larticle 70 de la
prsente loi ;

2 iyo nyakwigendera yari afite abana,

bazungura kimwe cya kabiri (1/2)
cyumutungo rusange bafatanije nabandi
bana nyakwigendera yaba afite ku giti cye,
ikindi
kikegurirwa
uwapfakaye
nkuburenganzira akura mu masezerano yo
gucunga umutungo yari yarahisemo;

2 if the de cujus had any children with the

surviving spouse, the surviving spouse takes
his/her half of the common property, and their
children shall inherit the other half, together
with any other children of the de cujus;

2 lorsque le de cujus avait des enfants

communs avec le conjoint survivant,
ceux-ci succdent la moiti du
patrimoine commun en concours avec les
enfants ns hors mariage du de cujus, sil
en avait un, et lautre moiti revient de
droit lpoux survivant comme son
droit attach au rgime matrimonial ;

3 iyo abari barashyingiranwe bombi bapfuye

bari bafitanye abana, aba nibo bazungura
umutungo wose wa ba nyakwigendera
bafatanije nabana bandi ba nyakwigendera
baba barasize buri wese ku giti cye;

3 if both spouses die leaving common children,

the children inherit the whole patrimony of their
deceased parents, and divide the half of each
parent with any half-siblings from that parent;

3 lorsque les deux (2) conjoints dcdent

en laissant des enfants communs, ceux-ci
succdent lentiret du patrimoine de
leurs parents dcds, avec les enfants
personnel de leurs parents dcds;

4 iyo bombi bapfuye nta bana basize,

amasezerano yo gucunga umutungo
araseswa,
umutungo
rusange
ukagabanywamo ibice bibiri bingana, maze
abazungura ba buri wese bakazungura
hakurikijwe urutonde ruteganywa mu

4 if both spouses die without leaving any children,

the matrimonial regime shall be dissolved and
the property shall be divided into two equal
parts, one half being allocated to the successors
of the husband and the other being allocated to
the successors of the wife according to the order

4 lorsque les conjoints dcdent sans

laisser les enfants, le rgime est dissout,
le patrimoine est divis en deux (2)
parties gales et la premire partie est
alloues aux successibles du mari et
lautre ceux de la femme selon lordre

39

ngingo ya 69;

established in Article 69;

tabli dans larticle 69 ;

5 iyo uwapfakaye yongeye gushaka kandi

nyamara
yari
afitanye
abana
na
nyakwigendera, yegukana kimwe cya kabiri
(1/2)
cyumutungo
rusange
ikindi
kikazungurwa nabana bose nyakwigendera
yasize;

5 if a surviving spouse who had common children

with the de cujus wants to remarry, he/she shall
take half of the community property, and the
other half shall be shared by all the children of
the de cujus;

5 lorsque le conjoint survivant qui avait

des enfants communs avec le de cujus
dsire se remarier, il rentre en proprit
de la moiti du patrimoine de la
communaut et lautre moiti est
succde par tous les enfants laisss par
le de cujus;

6 iyo uwapfakaye atongeye gushaka ariko

akabyara undi umwana, igihe cyizungura
abana uwapfakaye yari afitanye na
nyakwigendera begurirwa bonyine kimwe
cya kabiri cyumutungo rusange, ikindi
bakakizungura hamwe nabandi bana
uwapfakaye atabyaranye na nyakwigendera.

6 if a surviving spouse does not remarry but

subsequently has another child, the children of
the de cujus shall succeed to half of the
property, and all children of the surviving
spouse shall succeed to the other half, without
discrimination between children from his/her
marriage with the de cujus and children born
outside that marriage.

6 lorsque lpoux survivant ne se remarie

pas mais donne naissance un autre
enfant, au jour de la succession, celui-ci
est appel seulement la succession de
la moiti du patrimoine commun en
councours avec les autres enfants que le
de cujus avait en commun avec le
conjoint survivant tandis que lautre
moiti revient exclusement aux enfants
communs.

Abashyingiranwe bafitanye amasezerano yo

kuvangura umutungo, iyo umwe apfuye, usigaye
agumana
umutungo
we
bwite
kandi
agahamagarirwa kuzungura hamwe nabandi
bazungura umutungo wa nyakwigendera iyo nta
bana
nyakwigendera
asize.
Iyo
nyakwigenderayari afite abana, aba nibo
bazungura bonyine umutungo bwite wose
wumubyeyi wabo wapfuye.

Under the regime of separation of property, upon the

death of one of the spouses, the surviving spouse
shall take his/her own property. If the de cujus had
no children, the surviving spouse shall participate
with other heirs in the succession of the de cujus. If
the de cujus did leave children, the children shall be
entitled to inherit the whole property of their
deceased parent.

Pour les poux maris sous le rgime de la

sparation des biens, la mort de lun deux, le
survivant reste avec son patrimoine propre et
vienne la succession du patrimoine de son
poux dcd en concours avec les autres
successibles, en cas dabsence denfants. Si le
de cujus avait des enfants, ceux-ci succdent
seuls la totalit du patrimoine propre de leur
parent dcd.

Abashyingiranwe bafitanye amasezerano yo

kuvanga umutungo wumuhahano, izungura
rikurikiza
uburyo
bukoreshwa
mu
ivangamutungo
rusange
ku
mutungo

For spouses married under the limited community

property regime, the succession rules for community
of property shall apply to their common property and
the rules for separation of property shall apply to any

Pour les conjoints maris sous le rgime de la

communaut rduite aux acquts, la
succession suit les mmes modalits que
celles appliques au rgime de la communaut

40

wumuhahano
nuburyo
bukoreshwa
ivanguramutungo ku mutungo wa buri wese.

ku personal property.

universelle pour les acquts et celles

appliques au rgime de la sparation pour les
propres.

Ingingo ya 71: Izungura ridafite nyiraryo

Article 71: Succession without an heir

Article 71 : Succession en dshrence

Iyo ntawe uzungura cyangwa uragwa uhari,

cyangwa mu gihe abazungura banze umurage,
izungura ryitwa ko ridafite nyiraryo; umutungo
uzungurwa ugahita wegurirwa Leta.

When the de cujus leaves no heir or legatee, or if the

purported heirs or legatees renounce all gifts and
legacies, the property of the de cujus escheats to the
State.

A dfaut de tout hritier ou lgataire ou

lorsque les hritiers ou lgataires connus y ont
renonc, la succession est dite en dshrence
et est dvolue l'Etat.

Leta itegekwa kurangiza inshingano za The State shall pay the obligations of the deceased Il nest pas tenu des obligations du dfunt aunyakwigendera hakurijwe agaciro kibintu only up to the value of the property received.
del de la valeur des biens quil recueille.
yakiriye.
Ingingo ya 72: Uko izungura ridafite nyiraryo Article 72: The escheat procedure
rikorwa

Article 72 : Procdure de dshrence

Izungura ridafite nyiraryo rikorwa mu buryo The escheat procedure shall be as follows:
bukurikira:

La procdure de dshrence est fixe de faon

suivante :

1 urukiko rubifitiye ububasha cyangwa

Komite rwabunzi rwerekana ko izungura
ritafite
ryiraryo,
rubisabwe
numunyamabanga
nshingwabikorwa
wumurenge waho izungura rigomba
kubera
cyangwa
waho
umutungo
uzungurwa uri;

1 the competent court or the mediation committee

shall declare that property escheats to the State
by petition of the Executive Secretary of the
Sector where the estate is liquidated or where
the property is located;

1 la juridiction comptente ou le comit

des conciliateurs constate la dshrence
de la succession la requte du secrtaire
excutif du secteur du lieu de l'ouverture
de la succession ou du lieu o se trouvent
les biens de la succession ;

2 mu gihe kitarenze ukwezi kumwe, urukiko

cyangwa Komite yabunzi yaregewe
rugomba gufata icyemezo kigaragaza
byagateganyo ko izungura ridafite nyiraryo
maze rukagena umuntu ku giti cye cyangwa
umuryango ufite ubuzimagatozi kuba

2 within a period of one month of receiving the

petition, the court or the mediation committee
shall reach a verdict and appoint a natural or
moral person to temporarily administer the
estate for the benefit of the State. The
administrator shall present a management report

2 la Juridiction saisie ou le comit des

conciliateurs, dans un dlai dun mois,
prononce la dshrence provisoire et
dsigne la personne physique ou morale
charge
provisoirement
de
l'administration des biens pour le compte

41

acunga by'agateganyo uwo mutungo mu

izina rya Leta. Uwo ubicunga atanga buri
mwaka raporo y'imicungire y'umutungo,
akayiha ubuyobozi bwAkarere, akagenera
kopi
Umunyababga
nshingwabikorwa
wUmurenge;

to the Adminastration of the Distric each year,

and provide a copy of the report to the
Executive Secretary of the Sector;

de l'Etat. Cette personne tablit chaque

anne un rapport de gestion qu'il adresse
ladminstration du District et en rserve
une copie au secrtaire excutif du
secteur ;

3 icyo cyemezo kimanikwa ku biro

byumurenge waho izungura rigomba
kubera
cyangwa
waho
umutungo
uzungurwa uri;

3 the courts verdict shall be published at the

Sector Office of the sector where the succession
commences or where the property is located;

3 cette dcision est publie par voie

daffichage au bureau de secteur du lieu
de l'ouverture de la succession ou du lieu
o se trouvent les biens de la succession ;

4 nyuma yimyaka itatu, ku mutungo

wimukanwa, nimyaka icumi ku mutungo
utimukanwa,
urukiko
rubisabwe
numunyamabanga
nshingwabikorwa
wumurenge
rutangaza
ku
buryo
budasubirwaho ko izungura ridafite nyiraryo
maze umutungo uzungurwa ugahita
wegurirwa Leta. Nyamara iyo ibihe
byubuzime biteganyijwe nitegeko rigena
ubusaze bitararangira, umuzungura ubonetse
ashobora gusaba ko asubizwa ibintu byari
byareguriwe Leta.

4 upon petition of the Sector Executive Secretary,

the court shall declare escheat and the property
will devolve to the State; the petition should be
brought three years after the death of the de
cujus for movable property and ten years after
for immovable property. However, if the periods
provided for in the law on prescription do not
yet expire, a heir who appears may request to be
given back the property previously devolved to
the State.

4 aprs trois ans pour les biens meubles et

dix ans pour les biens immeubles, la
dshrence est, sur requte du secrtaire
excutif, dclare dfinitive par la
juridiction la succession tant dvolue
lEtat. Cependant, si les dlais prvus par
la loi sur la prescription ne sont pas
encore exipirs, lhritier qui apparat
peut rclamer quil soit restitu le
patrimoine qui avait t dvolu lEtat.

5 abazungura bigaragaje mbere yuko ibihe

byavuzwe haruguru birangira bazungura
umutungo
wa
nyakwigendera
uko
bawusanze, hagakurwamo ibyakoreshwe
bawurinda, batanga amatangazo, bawucunga
nibindi byose Leta yaba yarakoze mu
kurengera uwo mutungo.

5 a successor who appears before the expiration of

these deadlines shall succeed to any property
just as s/he finds it, after deducting the States
costs of custody, publicity, management and
protection of the property.

5 les hritiers qui se prsentent avant cette

chance reoivent la succession dans
l'tat o elle se trouve, dduction faite
des frais de garde, de publicit, de
gestion et d'ventuelles dispositions de
sauvegarde, exposs par l'Etat.

Ingingo ya 73: Itegeko rikurikizwa mu Article 73: Wills made by foreigners living in Article 73 : Loi applicable aux actes de
nyandiko ziraga zumunyamahanga uri mu Rwanda or by Rwandans living abroad
dernire volont contenant un lment
42

Rwanda cyangwa umunyarwanda uba mu

mahanga

dextranit

Inyandiko zirage zikozwe nabanyarwanda baba Any will made by a Rwandan residing outside Les actes de dernire volont des Rwandais
mu mahanga zigengwa:
Rwanda is regulated as follows:
rsidant ltranger sont rgis:
1 ku byerekeranye nuko ziteye, nitegeko
ryigihugu
zakorewemo.
Nyamara
umunyarwanda ashobora no guhitamo
uburyo buteganywa nitegeko ryigihugu
cye;

1 inform, the will must conform to the law of the

State in which it is made. However, a Rwandan
may choose to follow the laws of Rwanda in this
respect;

1 quant leur forme, par la loi du lieu o

ils sont faits. Toutefois, le Rwandais
faisant un acte de dernire volont
ltranger a la facult de suivre les
formes prvues par la loi rwandaise;

2 ku byerekeye icyo zivuga ninkurikizi zazo,

nitegeko ryu Rwanda.

2 in its substance and effects, Rwandan law shall

govern.

2 quant leur substance et leurs effets,

par la loi rwandaise.

Inyandiko zirage zikozwe numunyahanga uba Any will made by a foreigner residing in Rwanda is Les actes de dernire volont de ltranger
mu Rwanda zigengwa:
regulated as follows:
rsidant au Rwanda sont rgis:
1 ku byerekeranye nuko ziteye, nitegeko
ryigihugu
zakorewemo.
Nyamara
umunyamahanga ukoreye ibyifuzo bye bya
nyuma mu Rwanda ashobora guhitamo
uburyo buteganywa nitegeko ryigihugu
akomokamo;

1 in form, the will must conform to the law of the

State in which it is made. However, a foreigner
who makes his/her will in Rwanda may choose
to use the laws of his/her country of origin in
this respect;

1 quant leur forme, par la loi du lieu o

ils sont faits. Toutefois, ltranger faisant
un acte de dernire volont au Rwanda a
la facult de suivre les formes prvues
par sa loi nationale;

2 ku byerekeye icyo zivuga ninkurikizi zazo,

nitegeko ryigihugu akomokamo.

2 in its substance and effects, the laws of his/her

country of origin shall govern.

2 quant leur substance et leurs effets,

par la loi nationale du dfunt.

UMUTWE
WA
III:
IYEGERANYA CHAPTER
III:
LIQUIDATION
NIGABANYA RYIBIZUNGURWA
PARTITION OF THE ESTATE

Icyiciro
cya
ryibizungurwa

mbere:

AND CHAPITRE III :

PARTAGE
SUCCESSORAUX

Iyegeranya Section One: Liquidation of property in the estate

43

LIQUIDATION ET
DES
BIENS

Section premire : Liquidation des biens

successoraux

Akiciro ka mbere: Ushinzwe kwegeranya Sub-Section One: Liquidator and Succession Sous section premire : Liquidateur de la
umutungo uzungurwa ninama ishinzwe Council
succession et conseil successoral
ibyizungura
Ingingo ya 74: Ushinzwe
umutungo uzungurwa

kwegeranya Article 74: Liquidator of the estate

Article 74: Liquidateur de la succession

Uretse iyo irage ryabigennye ukundi, kwegeranya Unless the will provides otherwise, the role of the La charge de liquidateur incombe de plein
umutungo uzungurwa byegurirwa nta mpaka liquidator shall pass automatically to the heirs.
droit aux hritiers, moins dune disposition
abazungura.
testamentaire contraire.
Ku bwiganze bwamajwi bworoheje, abazungura The heirs shall choose a liquidator amongst Les hritiers dsignent la majorit simple le
bitoramo ugomba kwegeranya umutungo themselves by simple majority, and shall decide how liquidateur parmi eux et dterminent le mode
uzungurwa, bakanagena uburyo asimburwa.
s/he should be replaced if necessary.
de son remplacement.
Iyo bananiwe kumvikana kandi bidashobokera
inama ishinzwe ibyizungura gushyiraho
ushinzwe kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa,
uwo ari wese ubifitemo inyungu ashobora gusaba
urukiko rubifitiye ububasha kumushyiraho.

In the absence of an agreement and in case the

Succession Council is unable to appoint a liquidator,
any interested person may petition the competent
court to designate a liquidator.

A dfaut dentente entre les hritiers et en cas

dimpossibilit de pourvoir la nomination du
liquidateur par le conseil successoral, toute
personne intresse peut demander la
juridiction comptente de dsigner un
liquidateur.

Ingingo ya 75: Inama ishinzwe ibyizungura

Article 75: Succession Council

Article 75 : Conseil successoral

Inama
ishinzwe
ibyizungura
igizwe
nuwapfakaye, umwana uhagarariye abana ba
nyakwigendera, iyo harimo abakuru, uhagarariye
umuryango wa nyakwigendera, uhagarariye
umuryango
wuwapfakaye,
inshuti
yinyangamugayo imwe itoranywa numuryango
wuwapfakaye nindi itoranywa numuryango wa
nyakwigendera.

The Succession Council shall include the surviving

spouse, a child delegated by the children of the
deceased (if any children of full age survive), a
delegate of the deceaseds family, a delegate of the
surviving spouses family, a friend of good character
appointed by the family of the surviving spouse, and
another one appointed by the family of the deceased.

Le Conseil successoral comprend l'poux

survivant, un enfant dlgu par les enfants du
dfunt s'il y en a qui sont majeurs, un dlgu
de la famille du de cujus, un dlgu de la
famille du conjoint survivant, une personne
amie et de bonne conduite dsigne par la
famille du conjoint survivant, une personne
amie et de bonne conduite dsigne par la
famille du de cujus.

44

Inama ishinzwe ibyizungura ishinzwe cyane The succession Council shall designate the liquidator Le conseil successoral choisit le liquidateur
cyane ni uguhitamo umuntu ushinzwe of property in succession and follow up the education des biens successoraux et fait le suivi de
kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa, gukurikirana of children who are still minors.
lducation des enfants encore mineurs.
uburere bwabana bakiri bato nibijyanye
nimibereho yabo muri rusange.
Babyumvikanyeho, abagize inama ishinzwe
ibyizungura bitoramo umuntu uzayiyobora
nuzayibera umunyabanga. Ibyemezo byiyo
nama bifatwa abayigize bose bahari kandi
bagahita babishyiraho umukono.

The Succession Council shall appoint a chairperson

and a secretary from amongst themselves by
consensus. The Councils decisions shall be reached
in the presence of every member, and members must
indicate assent by signature.

Le conseil successoral choisit de commun

accord le prsident du conseil et le secrtaire.
Les dcisions du conseil successoral sont
prises en prsence de tous les membres qui les
signent.

Ingingo ya 76: Ibikorwa nushinzwe Article 76: Functions of the liquidator

kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa

Article 76 : Fonctions du liquidateur

Ushinzwe kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa:

Le liquidateur:

The liquidator shall:

1 acunga umutungo uzungurwa;

2 yishyura imyenda
kwishyurwa
yari
nyakwigendera;

1 administre la succession ;

cyo
na

make payments as they are due on any

outstanding debts owed by the deceased;

2 paye les dettes exigibles contractes par

le de cujus ;

3 agena ku buryo budasubirwaho abagomba

kuzungura;

determine those who are entitled to inherit;

3 dtermine dfinitivement ceux qui sont

appels la succession ;

4 afata ibyemezo
nigabana;

zirebana

decide on any partition controversies;

4 dcide sur les diffrends du partage ;

5 agaragariza abagomba kuzungura cyangwa

urukiko, iyo kwegeranya umutungo
uzungurwa byategetswe nurukiko, uko
yacunze umutungo ugomba kuzungurwa.

ku

igeze igihe
yarafashwe

administer the estate;

mpaka

make an accounting to all those entitled to

inherit any portion of the estate, or to the court
when the liquidator is appointed the court.

45

5 rend compte de la gestion aux appels

la succession ou la juridiction en cas de
liquidation judiciaire.

Akiciro ka
uzungurwa

2:

Ibarura

ryumutungo Sub-Section 2: Inventory of property in the estate

Ingingo ya 77: Ibarura ryumutungo

Article 77: Inventory of the property

Sous section 2 : Inventaire des biens de la

succession
Article 77 : Inventaire des biens

Ushinzwe kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa The liquidator shall make an inventory of both the Le liquidateur est tenu de faire inventaire de
ategetswe
gukora
ibarura
ryumutungo assets and liabilities of the deceased.
lactif et du passif des biens du de cujus.
nimyenda bya nyakwigendera.
Agenera kopi yiryo barura abazungura, baba A copy of that inventory is reserved for the heirs, Une copie de cet inventaire est adresse aux
badahari
akayigenera
inama
ishinzwe and when they are not present, for the Succession hritiers, dfaut au conseil successoral ou
ibyizungura cyangwa urukiko.
Council or the court.
la juridiction.
Ingingo ya 78: Impaka ku
ryumutungo ugomba kuzungurwa

ibarura Article 78: Contesting the inventory of property

Abazungura, abarazwe nabari baberewemo

imyenda na nyakwigendera bashobora kutemera
ibarura ryumutungo ugomba kuzungurwa; icyo
gihe basaba inama ishinzwe ibyizungura ko
ryasubirwamo. Iyo badashimishijwe nicyemezo
cyinama ishinzwe ibyizungura, ikirego
gishyikirizwa urukiko rubifitiye ububasha.

The heirs, legatees and creditors of the de cujus may

contest an inventory of the property in the estate and
request the Succession Council to perform another
inventory. If the Succession Council rejects such a
request, the concerned party may file a complaint in a
competent court.

Article 78 : Contestation de linventaire des

biens
Les hritiers, les lgataires, et les cranciers
de la succession peuvent contester linventaire
et demander au conseil successoral de
procder sa rvision. Au cas o la dcision
du conseil ne satisfait pas les concerns,
laction est porte devant la juridiction
comptente.

Akiciro ka 3: Kwishyura imyenda no gutanga Sub-Section 3: Payment of debts and distribution Sous section 3 : Paiement des dettes et des
imirage
of legacies by particular title
legs particuliers
Ingingo ya 80: Kwishyura imyenda ikurwa mu Article 80: Payment of the debts of the estate
mutungo uzungurwa

Article 80: Rglement des charges de la

succession

Mu kwishyura imyenda ikurwa ku mutungo, When paying the expenses of the estate, the Dans le rglement des charges de la
ushinzwe kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa liquidator shall ensure costs are paid in following succession, le liquidateur doit respecter l'ordre
agomba kubahiriza urutonde rukurikira:
order:
suivant :
1 Ibyatanzwe

mu

ishyingurwa

rya

1 the funeral costs of the deceased;

46

1 les frais funraires du de cujus ;

nyakwigendera;
2 imishahara
guhemba;

nyakwigendera

yagombaga

2 wages and salaries payable by the deceased;

2 les rmunrations dues par le de cujus ;

3 ibyatanzwe
mu
icunga,
n'igabagabanya-mutungo;

iyegeranya

3 the costs of administering and liquidating the

estate;

3 les frais d'administration, de liquidation

et de partage de la succession ;

4 imyenda ya nyakwigendera;

4 the debts of the deceased;

4 les dettes du de cujus ;

5 imirage ku bintu bizwi yatanzwe na

nyakwigendera.

5 legacies by particular title made by the

deceased;

5 les legs titre particulier faits par le de

cujus.

Akiciro ka 4: Guhitamo kuzungura

Sub-Section 4: Option to accept or renounce Sous section 4 : Option successorale

inheritance or legacy

Ingingo ya 81: Kwemera kuzungura

Article 81: Acceptance of property

Article 81 : Acceptation de la succession

Ntawe uhatirwa kwemera kuzungura cyangwa

gufata umurage ahamagariwe. Uzungura wese
afite uburenganzira bwo kwemera cyangwa
kwanga umurage. Kwemera izungura bikorwa
mu buryo bweruye cyangwa mu buryo buteruye.

No one shall be bound to accept the property s/he

inherits or receives by legacy. All the successors
have the right to accept or renounce property.
Acceptance shall be express or tacit.

Nul n'est tenu d'accepter la succession ou le

legs auquel il est appel. Tout successible a le
droit daccepter la succession ou dy renoncer.
L'acceptation est expresse ou tacite.

Ingingo ya
kuzungura

82:

Inkurikizi

zo

kwemera Article 82: Effects of acceptance

Iyo bemeye kuzungura, uzungura wese cyangwa

uwarazwe umutungo wose wuraga cyangwa
uwarazwe igice kimwe cyumutungo bagomba
kuriha imyenda ya nyakwigendera mu
kigereranyo cyuruhare bagomba kubona ku
mutungo uzungurwa.

When any heir or legatee accepts property by

universal legacy or general title, s/he also assumes
any liabilities on the property in proportion to the
amount of the property s/he receives.

Ingingo ya 83: Kwemera kuzungura umuntu Article 83: Future acceptance of property
47

Article 82 : Effet de lacceptation

Tout hritier ou lgataire universel ou titre

universel est tenu, en cas d'acceptation de la
succession, de supporter le passif de celle-ci
en proportion de la part du patrimoine qui lui
choit.

Article 83 : Acceptation dune succession

ukiriho

future

Ntawe ushobora kwemera cyangwa kwanga No one shall accept or renounce an inheritance or a Nul ne peut accepter ou renoncer une
kuzungura umuntu ukiriho kabone nubwo legacy from a living person, even when that person succession non encore ouverte, mme avec le
nyiribintu bizungurwa yaba abyemera.
consents.
consentement de celui dont la succession est
en cause.
Ingingo ya 84: Gukoresha uburenganzira bwo Article 84: Exercising the right to renounce an Article 84 : Exercice du droit doption
guhitamo kuzungura
inheritance or a legacy
successorale
Guhitamo kuzungura bikorwa mu gihe cyamezi
atandatu abarwa uhereye ku itariki uzungura
cyangwa
uragwa
yamenyesherejweho
nushinzwe kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa ko
afite uburenganzira bwo kuzungura cyangwa ku
munsi we ubwe yagaragajeho ko afite ubwo
burenganzira.

The right to renounce an inheritance or a legacy must

be exercised within six months of when the liquidator
informs the heir or legatee of his/her right to
renounce, or of when the heir/legatee acknowledges
that s/he has that right.

Umuntu ufite ububasha bwa kibyeyi ku mwana

utaragera ku myaka yubukure niwe umuhitiramo
kuzungura cyangwa kutazungura; umuntu
mukuru watswe ubushobozi we ahitirwamo
numwishingizi we.

The person exercising parental authority or Loption successorale pour le mineur ou le

trusteeship over a minor or a major deprived of the majeur interdit est faite par la personne qui
right to succeed shall exercise the heir/legatees right exerce lautorit parentale ou la tutelle sur lui.
to renounce.

Le droit doption successorale doit tre exerc

dans les six mois partir de la date o
lhritier ou le lgataire a t inform par le
liquidateur de sa qualit ou du jour o il en a
lui-mme fait tat.

Iyo umuntu apfuye atemeye cyangwa ngo yange When a person dies before exersing that right, it is Lorsquune personne dcde sans avoir exerc
kuzungura, bikorwa nabamuzungura.
passed on to his/her heirs.
loption successorale, son droit passe aux
hritiers.
Ingingo ya 85: Uburyo kwanga kuzungura Article 85: Forms of renunciation
bikorwamo

Article 85: Formes de renonciation la

succession

Kwanga kuzungura bigomba kugaragazwa mu Renunciation should be express. It shall be in writing

buryo budashidakanywaho. Bigomba gukorwa and notified to the liquidator of the estate before the
mu nyandiko, bikamenyeshwa ushinzwe expiration of the six-month period.
kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa mbere yuko

La renonciation la succession ne se prsume

pas. Elle doit tre faite par crit et tre
signifie au liquidateur de la succession avant
l'expiration du dlai doption.

48

igihe cyangenwe
kirangira.

cyo

guhitamo

izungura

Niba uzungura atazi kwandika, ashobora kuvuga If the heir/legatee cannot write, s/he may renounce an Si l'hritier ne sait pas crire, il peut le
mu magambo ko yanze kuzungura mu gihe inheritance or legacy verbally in the presence of two dclarer verbalement dans ledit dlai en
cyagenwe, imbere yabahamya babiri.
witnesses.
prsence de deux tmoins.
Iyo uzungura atagize icyo avuga kandi If the heir/legatee does not accept or renounce the En cas de silence de l'hritier alors qu'il a t
yaramanyeshejwe ko ari mubazungura, bifatwa inheritance/legacy after being informed of his/her inform de sa qualit, ce silence vaut
nkaho yemeye kuzungura.
right, this silence is considered to be acceptance.
acceptation de la succession.
Ingingo ya
kuzungura

86:

Inkurikizi

zo

kwanga Article 86: The effects of renunciation

Uzungura cyangwa uwahawe umurage wanze

kuzungura afatwa nkaho atigeze ashyirwa mu
bagomba kuzungura. Ntabwo asabwa kwishyura
imyenda ikurwa ku mutungo uzungurwa.

If an heir/legatee renounces an inheritance or legacy,

s/he is deemed to have never been entitled to take
from the de cujus. S/he is not required to pay any
debts or charges on the deceaseds property.

Article 86 : Effets de la renonciation la

succession
La renonciation de l'hritier ou lgataire a
pour effet de retenir celui-ci comme n'ayant
jamais t appel la succession du de cujus.
Il chappe ainsi aux dettes et aux charges de
la succession.

Ingingo ya 87: Ukwisubiraho mu guhitamo Article 87: Irrevocability of renunciation or Article 87:
kuzungura
acceptance
successorale

Irrvocabilit

de

loption

Kwemera
cyangwa
kwanga
kuzungura Acceptance or renunciation of property is irrevocable L'acceptation ou la renonciation de l'hritier
ntibisubirwaho kandi bigira agaciro guhera and is considered effective from the date of the de ou lgataire est irrvocable et remonte au jour
umunsi w'urupfu rwa nyakwigendera
cujuss death.
du dcs du de cujus.
Icyakora uzungura cyangwa uwahawe umurage
wanze kuzungura ntashobora kwisubiraho iyo
igihe cyo guhitamo cyarangiye, keretse iyo
kwanga kuzungura byabayeho hakoreshejwe
uburiganya, ingufu cyangwa iterabwoba kandi
bikaregerwa mu rukiko mu gihe cyamezi cumi
nabiri (12) uhereye igihe byarangiriye. Icyo gihe
gishobora kongerwa habonetse impamvu

Renunciation shall become irrevocable only upon

expiration of the six-month period, unless the
renunciation was obtained by fraud, violence or
threats, and a legal action was filed before the court
within twelve (12) months of when those acts ceased.
If convincing proof exists, this period may be
extended.
49

La renonciation ne devient irrvocable qu'

l'expiration du dlai doption, moins que
cette renonciation n'ait t obtenue par dol,
violence ou menace et qu'une action judiciaire
soit intente dans les douze (12) mois qui
suivent la date laquelle ces actes ont cess.
En cas de raisons valables et justifiables, ce
dlai peut tre prolong.

zigaragara kandi zifatika.

Icyiciro cya
uzungurwa

2:

Kugabana

umutungo Section 2: Partition of property in liquidation

Ingingo ya 88: Uburyo igabana rikorwamo

Article 88: Manner of partition of property

Section 2 : Partage des biens en liquidation

Article 88 : Modalits de partage des biens

Umutungo uzungurwa ugabanywa uko uri. In principle, the partition of the property during Le partage des biens en liquidation a lieu en
Agaciro kawo kagenwa umunsi wigabana.
liquidation shall be made in-kind. The value of the principe en nature. La valeur de ces biens
sestime au moment du partage.
property is determined at the moment of partition.
Ariko, bidashobotse ko umutungo uterwa imirwi
uko umeze mu migabane ingana, ushinzwe
kwegeranya umutungo uzungurwa agena
inshumbushyanyo
abazungura
babonye
umugabane urenze uwo itegeko cyangwa irage
bibemerera, baha ababonye umuto.

However, where it is impossible to establish equal

shares in-kind, the liquidator determines the
compensation to be given by the heirs who receive
more than their share to those who receive less.

Toutefois, lorsqu'il y a impossibilit d'tablir

l'galit des parts en nature, le liquidateur
dtermine une soulte que les hritiers ayant
reu une part suprieure leur part lgale ou
testamentaire de la succession, donnent ceux
qui ont reu une part infrieure.

Iyo habayeho impaka hagati yabazungura ku

gaciro
kumutungo
uzungurwa
cyangwa
kwiyishyurwa ryinshumbushanyo, ikirego
gishyikirizwa urukiko rubifiye ububasha akaba
arirwo rugena ako gaciro.

If the heirs disagree on the value of the property in

the estate or the payment of compensation, they shall
make a request to the competent court to determine
the value.

Lorsquil y a contestation entre les cohritiers

sur la dtermination de la valeur des biens ou
le paiement de la soulte, laction est porte
devant la juridiction comptente qui la
dtermine.

Iyo ibintu bimwe bidahoshobora kugabanyika

uko bikwiye, ababifitemo inyungu bashobora
kwemeza kubigurisha bakagabana agaciro kabyo.
Icyo gihe abazungura bagira uburenganzira bwo
kuba babigura mbere yundi muntu wese.

When it is impossible to clearly partition property,

the interested parties may decide to sell it and share
its value. In such a case, heirs have the right to
purchase such property before anyone else.

Si certains biens ne peuvent tre

commodment partags, les intresss
peuvent dcider de procder leur vente et en
partager le produit. Dans ce cas les hritiers
ont un droit de premption pour lachat.

Ingingo ya 89: Kurinda inzu yumuryango

Article 89: Protection of the family house

Article 89: Protection du logement familial

Iyo mu iseswa ryimicungire yumutungo Notwithstanding the matrimonial regime, if the En prsence denfants communs avec le de
wabashakanywe, uwapfakaye wari ufitanye surviving spouse had children with the deceased but cujus, le conjoint survivant qui ne recueille
abana na nyakwigendera atabonye inzu did not acquire the family house and its furnishings pas la maison conjugale ainsi que les meubles
50

yumuryango nibiyirimo mu mugabane we,

akomeza kuba muri iyo nzu kugeza apfuye
hatitawe ku buryo bwo gucunga umutungo yari
yarahisemo nuwo bari barashakanye. Nyamara
abazungura babyumvikanyeho nuwo wapfakaye,
bashobora
kumwishyurira
ahandi
hantu
hatunganye aba.

in his/her share of the property, s/he shall stay in the

house until s/he dies. However, s/he may agree with
the other heirs to live at another appropriate
residence, at their expense.

meublants dans sa part de liquidation du

rgime matrimonial, en reste usufruitier
jusqu sa mort, peu importe le rgime
matrimonial des poux. Cependant les
hritiers, de commun accord avec le conjoint
survivant, peuvent dcider de lui trouver un
autre logement convenable, cela leurs frais.

Iyo uwapfakaye agiye kongera gushaka atakaza

ubwo burengenzira ku nzu yumuryango; ihita
ifatwa nabayigabanye. Ariko inama ishinzwe
ibyizungura, mu nyungu zuwo wapfakaye
cyangwa izabana, ishobora
kumwemerera
gukomeza kuyibamo.

If the surviving spouse remarries, s/he loses the right

to use the family house to the benefit of the person
who held bare ownership rights. However, in the
interests of the surviving spouse or children, the
Succession Council may allow him/her to continue
staying in the house.

En cas de remariage, le conjoint survivant

perd ce droit au logement familial au profit
des nu-propritaires. Nanmoins, le conseil
successoral peut, dans son intrt ou dans
lintrt des enfants, ladmettre demeurer
usufruitier des mmes biens.

Iyo uwapfakaye nta bana yari afitanye na

nyakwigendera, ashobora gusaba ko yahabwa mu
mugabane we mbere yabandi bazungura bose,
inzu yumuryango nibiyirimo. Iyo agaciro
kinzu yumuryango nibiyirimo karenze
umugabane we, arayigumana ariko agatanga
inshumbushanyo.

If the surviving spouse did not have children with the

deceased, s/he has the right to claim the family house
to the exclusion of the other heirs. If the value of the
family house and its furnishings exceed his/her
succession share, s/he may keep the house, but must
compensate the other heirs.

En labsence denfants communs avec le de

cujus, le conjoint survivant peut par
prfrence tout autre hritier, exiger que
lon place dans son lot, la maison conjugale et
les meubles meublants. Si la valeur de la
maison conjugale et des meubles meublant
excdent la part due au conjoint survivant,
celui la conserve charge de soulte.

Ingingo
ya
90:
Gucunga
wazunguwe nabana bakiri bato

umutungo Article 90: Administration of property of minors Article 90: Administration des biens hrits
par les enfants mineurs

Umutungo wazunguwe nabana bakiri bato Property inherited by a minor is administered by the
ucungwa numubyeyi wabo wasigaye, yaba surviving spouse, or if s/he is absent, by the person
adahari ugacungwa nufite ububashasha bwa exercising parental authority or the trustee.
kibyeyi cyangwa ubishingira.

Les biens hrits par les enfants mineurs sont

administrs pour leur compte par le conjoint
survivant, en son absence par celui qui exerce
lautorit parentale ou la tutelle.

Iyo inama ishinzwe ibyizungura yemeje ko If the administrator prejudices the minors interests, Lorsque le conseil successoral juge
inyungu zabana zibangamiwe nibikorwa the Succession Council may urgently file the case prjudiciable aux intrts de ces enfants les
51

byushinzwe gucunga umutungo barazwe, before the court requesting to divest him/her of the actes poss par ladministrateur, il peut
ishobora gushyikiriza ikirego mu buryo bwihuse right to administer the minors property.
introduire en justice une demande en rfr de
isaba urukiko ko yakwamburwa ubwo
dchance de ce droit dadministration.
burenganzira yari yarahawe.
Ingingo ya 91: Inkurikizi zigabana

Article 91: Effects of partition

Article 91 : Effet du partage

Igabana ryemeza uburenganzira busesuye ku

mutungo. Kuva aho izungura ritangiriye, buri
muzungura afatwa nkaho yazunguye wenyine
ibintu byose biri mu mugabane we.

Partition ensures an absolute right to property. From

the commencement of succession, every successor
solely and fully inherits the property in his/her share
of the estate.

Le partage est dclaratif de droit de proprit.

Chaque cohritier est cens avoir succd,
seul et depuis louverture de la succession,
tous les biens compris dans son lot.

Ingingo ya 92: Kugaruza ibyarenze

Article 92: Retrocession action

Article 92: Action en rtrocession

Iyo nyakwigendera yarengeje igice cyibyo If the deceased exceeds the transferable quota:
yagomba gutanga:

Si la quotit disponible a t dpass par le de

cujus :

1 imirage ntitangwa;

1 legacies shall not be executed; and

1 les legs ne seront pas excuts ;

2 abazungura bashobora gusaba ko ibyarenze

ku mpano byagaruzwa, haherewe ku
mpanzo ziherutse gutangwa.

2 each heir may claim restitution to the

successoral reserve of donations exceeding the
transferable quota, starting from the most recent
donations.

2 tout
hritier
peut
rclamer
la
rtrocession,
dans
la
rserve
successorale, de la partie d'une donation
constituant le surplus de la quotit
disponible, en commenant par les
donations les plus rcentes.

Abazungura
nabana.

bazigamirwa

ni

uwapfakaye The surviving spouse and children are the sole Le conjoint survivant et les enfants sont les
beneficiaries of the successoral reserve.
seuls bnficiaires de la rserve successorale.

Ingingo ya 93: Igihe ntarengwa cyo kugaruza Article 93: Prescribed time for demanding Article 93: Dure prescrite
ibyarengejwe
restitution
demande en rtrocession

pour

la

Uko byagenda kose, ikintu cyatanzwe mbere Any property given more than three years before the Dans tous les cas, un bien sorti, trois ans avant
yimyaka itatu ibanziriza umunsi inzungura commencement of succession shall not be subject to la date de l'ouverture de la succession, ne peut
ritangiriyeho ntigishobora kugaruzwa.
restitution.
tre rtrocd.
52

Ingingo ya
buzungurwa

94:

Igabana

ryubutaka Article 94: The partition of land

Article 94: Partage successorale de la

proprit foncire

Haseguriwe ibiteganywa namategeko, ubutaka Subject to the exceptions provided by law, land is La proprit foncire est succde comme
buzungurwa nkuko undi mutungo utimukanwa inherited in the same way as any other immovable tout autre bien immeuble, sauf les exceptions
uzungurwa.
property.
prvues par la loi.
Igabana ryabwo rikorwa nkuko iryindi mitungo The partition of land is governed by the same rules as Le partage d'une proprit foncire suit les
rikorwa.
partition of other types of property.
mmes rgles du partage des autres biens.
Nyamara, ubutaka butarengeje hegitari imwe However, land smaller than one hectare shall not be
ntibushobora gucibwamo imirwi; ba nyirabwo partitioned; the co-owners shall agree on either
bumvikana uburyo bwo kubugurisha cyangwa selling it, or retaining it and sharing its fruits.
kububyaza
umusaruro maze
bakagabana
umusaruro.
TITLE V: INGINGO
NIZISOZA

ZINZIBACYUHO TITLE V: TRANSITIONAL

PROVISIONS

AND

Toutefois, la proprit foncire dont la

superficie n'excde pas un hectare ne peut tre
partage ; les propritaires doivent plutt
convenir des modalits de leur vente ou de
leur exploitation et se partager les fruits.

FINAL TITRE
V:
DISPOSITIONS
TRANSITOIRE ET FINALE

Ingingo ya 95: Imanza zitaracibwa ninkiko

Article 95: Pending cases

Article 95: Affaires pendantes devant les

juridictions

Imanza zizaba zitaracibwa ninkiko mu gihe iri

tegeko rizaba ritangiye gushyirwa mu bikorwa
zizacibwa hakurikijwe iri tegeko; nyamara
ntirizagira icyo rihindura ku bikorwa bizaba
byararangiye.

Any cases pending at the time this Law comes into

force shall be adjudicated under this Law; it shall not
have any retroactive effect on already completed
acts.

Les affaires pendantes devant les juridictions

lors de lentre en vigueur de la prsente loi
seront juges conformment la prsente loi
sans effet rtroactif sur les actes y relatifs dj
accomplis.

Niba
iri
tegeko
rihinduye
mu
mizi
ibyashingiweho byose mu manza zatanzwe
hakurikijwe Itegeko rya kera kandi zikaba
zitaracibwa, inkiko zizakurikiza itegeko ryariho
mbere yiri.

If this Law modifies substantive conditions on which

a case has been filed under the former Law and is
still pending before courts, the court shall apply the
former Law.

Si la prsente loi modifie des conditions de

fond sur lesquelles est base une affaire
introduite sous lempire de lancienne loi et
toujours pendante devant une juridiction,
celle-ci appliquera lancienne loi.

53

Ingingo ya 96: Ikoreshwa ryitegeko

Article 96: Application of the Law

Izungura ryose ryatangiye mbere yuko iri tegeko If succession has commenced before this Law
rishyirwa mu bikorwa ariko igabana ritaraba, entered into force, but the property has not yet been
rizakorwa hakurikijwe iri tegeko.
divided, it shall be partitioned in accordance with this
Law.

Article 96 Application de la loi dans le

temps
Les successions ouvertes avant lentre en
vigueur de la prsente loi mais qui sont encore
en indivision successorale, seront partages
conformment la prsente loi.

Ingingo ya 97: Itegurwa, isuzumwa nitorwa Article 97: Drafting, consideration and adoption Article 97 : Initiation, examen et adoption
ryiri tegeko
of this Law
de la prsente loi
Iri tegeko ryateguwe mu rurimi rwigifaransa, This Law was drafted in French, considered and La prsente loi a t initie en franais,
risuzumwa kandi ritobwa mu Kinyarwanda.
adopted in Kinyarwanda.
examine et adopte en Kinyarwanda.
Ingingo ya 98: Ivanwaho
zinyuranije niri tegeko

ryingingo Article 98: Repealing provisions

Itegeko n 22/99 ryo ku wa 12/11/1999 ryuzuza

igitabo cya mbere cyurwunge rwamategeko
yimbonezamubano kandi rishyiraho igice cya
gatanu cyerekeye imicungire yumutungo
wabashyingiranywe, impano nizungura, kimwe
ninzindi ngingo zose zamategeko zinyuranyije
niri tegeko bivanyweho, haseguriwe ibivugwa
mu ngingo ya 96 yiri tegeko.

Law no 22/99 of 12/11/1999 supplementing Book 1

of the Civil Code and instituting Part Five regarding
Matrimonial Regimes, Liberalities and Successions,
and all prior legal provisions inconsistent with this
Law are hereby repealed, except as provided in
Article 96 of this Law.

Ingingo ya 99: Igihe iri itegeko ritangira Article 99: Commencement

gukurikizwa

Article 98: Disposition abrogatoire

La Loi n 22/99 du 12/11/1999 compltant le

livre premier du code civil et instituant la
cinquime partie relative aux rgimes
matrimoniaux, aux libralits et aux
successions ainsi que toutes les autres
dispositions lgales contraires la prsente loi
sont abroges, sous rserve des dispositions
de larticle 96 de la prsente loi.
Article 99 : Entre en vigueur

Iri tegeko ritangira gukurikizwa ku munsi This Law shall come into force on the date of its La prsente loi entre en vigueur le jour de sa
ryatangarijweho mu Igazeti ya Leta ya publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of publication au Journal Officiel de la
Repubulika yu Rwanda.
Rwanda.
Rpublique du Rwanda.
54

Kigali, ..

Kigali, .

Kigali, .

KAGAME Paul
Perezida wa Repubulika

KAGAME Paul
President of the Republic

KAGAME Paul
Prsident de la Rpublique

Dr HABUMUREMYI Pierre Damien

Minisitiri wIntebe

Dr HABUMUREMYI Pierre Damien

Prime Minister

Dr HABUMUREMYI Pierre Damien

Premier Ministre

55

Bibonywe kandi bishyizweho ikirango cya

Repubulika:

Seen and sealed with the Seal of the Republic:

KARUGARAMA Tharcisse
Minisitiri wUbutabera/ Intumwa Nkuru ya Leta

KARUGARAMA Tharcisse
Minister of Justice/Attorney General

56

Vu et scell du Sceau de la Rpublique:

KARUGARAMA Tharcisse
Ministre de la Justice/Garde des Sceaux