Rwanda’s high-value therapeutic crop (HVTC) program is edging closer to a key milestone, as construction of the country’s first medical cannabis processing facility nears completion.
The project, located in Musanze District in the Northern Province, is part of a broader national effort to tap into the lucrative global medical cannabis market and drive economic diversification.
An official from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) confirmed during a parliamentary budget hearing on Tuesday that the project is 83 percent complete.
Joseph Cedrick Nsengiyumva, RDB’s Chief Financial Officer, informed lawmakers that remaining tasks include the installation of a double-layered security fence—an international requirement for medical cannabis infrastructure.
“The works related to drainage layout were completed but are yet to be invoiced,” said Nsengiyumva.
For the 2024/2025 fiscal year, Rwf2.2 billion has been earmarked for the project, with over Rwf1 billion already spent, representing a 46 percent financial execution rate.
The medical cannabis initiative marks Rwanda’s foray into the pharmaceutical and health research industries, with the long-term goal of becoming a key exporter of cannabis-derived therapeutic products.
Based on ministerial orders issued in June 2021 concerning cannabis and its derivatives, King Kong Organics (KKOG) was granted a five-year license to cultivate the plant.
The firm, a subsidiary of KKOG Global, has already invested $10 million into facility construction, advanced machinery, land acquisition, and the importation of genetically modified cannabis seeds.
Initially, construction of the production site was expected to be completed by May 2024, but delays linked to infrastructure access pushed the timeline to September of the same year.
KKOG CEO Rene Joseph said the plant will be used to extract cannabis oils for export to international markets.
Rwanda has allocated 134 hectares for medical cannabis cultivation, targeting a yield of 5,000 kilograms per hectare for export.
