Pay and tax · 5 min read

RSSB contributions 2026: how much comes off your salary in Rwanda

You pay 6% of your pay to RSSB pension and 0.3% to maternity, then 0.5% of your net salary to CBHI. On gross RWF 400,000 that's RWF 26,654 a month, on top of PAYE.

By WorkRwandaPublished 2 November 2026

Photo: PICHA Stock, Pexels License, via Pexels

Your employer takes these off your pay and sends them to RSSB, and adds its own 6% for pension and 0.3% for maternity on top. If your employer is enrolled in RAMA, another 7.5% of your basic pay comes off. Here's each rate, who pays it, what it's charged on, and a worked example you can compare with your payslip. One date to note: the pension rate rises on 1 January 2027.

The rates, and who pays them

Pension: 12% in total since 1 January 2025. You pay 6% and your employer pays 6%.
Maternity leave scheme: 0.6% of gross in total. You pay 0.3% and your employer pays 0.3%. Men pay it too.
CBHI, the Mutuelle: you pay 0.5% of your net salary.
RAMA medical scheme: 15% of basic pay in total, 7.5% from each of you, only if your employer is enrolled.

RRA's list of mandatory contributions has PAYE and these four, and nothing else that comes off your pay.

A worked example on RWF 400,000

This is a private sector employee in a first job, with all pay counting for pension and no RAMA.

Gross RWF 400,000 a month, rates until 31 December 2026

RSSB pension, 6% = 24,000
RSSB maternity, 0.3% = 1,200
PAYE (see our PAYE guide) = 84,000
Left before CBHI = 290,800
CBHI, 0.5% of 290,800 = 1,454
You take home 289,346

Your employer also pays 24,000 for pension and 1,200 for maternity. That doesn't come out of your pay.

One line needs a warning. The February 2026 Order says 0.5% of the employee's net salary, and doesn't define net salary. We use gross less PAYE, pension and maternity. Your employer may do it a little differently, but the gap is small: even on full gross, this line would be 2,000.

Which of your allowances count for pension

Ministerial Order 008/24/10/TC lists the pay that isn't charged for pension. It's mission fees, communication fees, family allowances, medical expenses incurred, expensive living allowances, entertainment allowances, occupational health and safety allowances, tools allowance and meal expenses, as well as any other allowance that may be considered as such. Accommodation in kind does count. Transport isn't on that list.

So suppose 50,000 of your 400,000 counts as meal expenses. Your pension line would be 6% of 350,000, or 21,000, not 24,000. You'd have 3,000 more now, and a smaller pension salary on your record later. Maternity stays on gross, as RRA words it.

Is there a cap on RSSB pension?

No cap is stated on the pages we checked: the 2024 Orders, RRA's contribution page and RSSB's portal. We didn't open the 2015 pension law itself, so we can't tell you the law has none. Our calculator applies no cap.

RAMA: who pays it and who doesn't

Civil servants are members automatically, and private employers can join. RSSB says an employer needs at least seven employees to enrol, so many private staff won't have this line. If you do, it's charged on basic pay, not gross. On a basic of 400,000 you'd pay 30,000 and your employer another 30,000, and RSSB would then pay 85% of your bill for treatment and prescribed drugs. We couldn't confirm whether RAMA comes off before CBHI is worked out, so our calculator leaves RAMA out.

What your employer has to do

Register you with RSSB within seven working days of hiring you, if you don't already have a number.
Declare and pay by the 15th of the next month, through RSSB's Ishema system. This stays monthly even when PAYE is quarterly.
Show you the amounts. Your payslip should list the RSSB withheld.

If your employer declares late it pays 1.5% a month, and paying late costs another 1.5% a month. Those charges fall on the employer, not on you.

How to check that your money arrived

RSSB's member portal, Imisanzu, says you can view your salary, deductions and employer contributions, make reports, use a pension calculator and download certificates. We could read the public pages only, not the steps behind the login. If your payslip shows a deduction that the portal doesn't, ask your employer first, because payment isn't due until the 15th. If it's still missing, RSSB's portal gives its call line as 4044 and its email as [email protected].

When you can touch your pension

RSSB says contributions can be reached only at retirement age, 60, or at 55 for early retirement. With 15 years or more of contributions you're paid monthly, not as a lump sum. The portal says your pension salary is the average gross salary from the past five years. If your job ends and you aren't in another scheme, you can join the voluntary scheme. RRA gives its rate as 12%.

Sources and further reading

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Frequently asked questions

Is the RSSB pension rate 3% or 6%?

6% from you and 6% from your employer, since 1 January 2025. Some older pages still say 3% and 3%, which was the earlier rate. RRA's contribution page, the RSSB portal and the 2024 Order all point to the 12% total. You may also see 7.5% and 7.5% on RSSB's pension page. That matches the RAMA medical rate and conflicts with the rest, so we don't use it.

Does my RSSB contribution reduce my tax?

No. PAYE is worked out on your full gross pay. Only what your employer contributes for you is left out of taxable pay.

Can I withdraw my RSSB pension when I change jobs?

No. RSSB says it can be accessed only at 60, or at 55 for early retirement. If your job ends and you aren't in another scheme, you can join the voluntary scheme.

Why does my payslip show CBHI if I have RAMA?

The 2026 Order charges 0.5% of net salary to employees in State organs and the private sector, and it doesn't carve out RAMA members in that article. If your line looks wrong, ask your employer to explain it.