Rwanda’s recently enacted law on access to information faces its first test after a journalist took the Ministry of Sports and Culture to the Ombudsman and threatened to go to court if necessary, to compel it to reveal the budget of the national soccer team.

Media observers in Rwanda say the dispute between local journalist Fred Muvunyi and the ministry will test the effectiveness of the new law, which was passed in March this year.

The law, which was meant to improve access to information for journalists, is yet to make any difference. Government institutions remain as opaque as ever, six months after it was passed.

READ: Finally, Rwanda opts for media self-regulation

Mr Muvunyi’s decision to take the sports ministry to the Ombudsman followed three weeks of futile attempts to access information showing how the country’s sports budget is spent.

The journalist wanted to know particularly the details of the money spent on football.

But after weeks of moving up and down, Mr Muvunyi was informed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Edward Kalisa and later the Minister Protais Mitali that the information he was looking for was classified and he could not access it.

“I approached the ministry officials on phone and found that it was not working, so I decided to meet them face to face,” he said. “I was looking for a detailed report on how they spent money on football, national team coaches’ salaries and on various competitions. I thought this is information a taxpayer would wish to have following the poor performance of the national team,” Mr Muvunyi told The EastAfrican.

On August 21, the PS and the Director of Sports Emmanuel Bugingo informed him that the cash spent on football was a “secret.”

However, Mr Kalisa told him that the general budget for sports is Rwf1.1 billion ($1.6 million) but did not provide a breakdown of how it is spent.

“On the contrary, I think such information should not be classified as long as it involves public funds. On Thursday, I submitted a letter to the Ombudsman’s office and a copy to the Rwanda Media Commission, which is charged with self-regulation,” Mr Muvunyi said.

“The law is very clear; I believe if we go to court, I will win this case.”

Mr Mitali said that Mr Muvunyi should go ahead and go to court if he thinks that is how the issue can be addressed.

“In my view, telling the journalist the general sports budget is enough but if he thinks this issue can be resolved in the courts, then I guess he can go ahead,” Mr Mitali said.

Efforts to reach the Ombudsman were unsuccessful but his office confirmed receipt of the letter containing Mr Muvunyi’s complaints.

It will be the first time the Access to Information Act will be put into effect following its promulgation. Despite passing the law earlier this year, government institutions remain unwilling to release information, raising questions over their accountability.

Robert Mugabe, the chairperson of the Rwanda Media Self-Regulation Committee — which is charged with the task of following up on the implementation of both the access to information and self-regulation laws — said there are still major loopholes that government institutions can exploit to deny journalists information.

“The Access to Information law is incomplete because there are ministerial decrees that are still being awaited for it to come into full force. If the case went to court, for example, it would be difficult to determine what information is considered too sensitive or whether someone has been denied information,” Mr Mugabe said.

According to Mr Mugabe, even the Ombudsman does not have enough powers to arbitrate between the parties.

“There is a law in parliament determining the powers of the Ombudsman. That law needs to come out and also within it the power of following up the implementation of the access to information should be embedded,” Mr Mugabe said.