Rwanda is characterised as a low-income country amongst the poorest on the African continent.
Poverty in Rwanda has been persistent for a long period of time and it was made worse by the
genocide that took place in 1994 and claimed over a million people. Although a variety of social
policies, both home-grown and foreign, have been adopted since 1994 by the government of
Rwanda to try and alleviate poverty, none has up to now succeeded to get rid of the povertyconflict
trap, partly because they are all means tested. It should be noted here that Rwanda’s
situation needs a universal approach in order to help ameliorate the current poverty level which
is now at 60 percent, and the rising inequality. The researcher, when investigating a universal
approach to use, suggested that a UIG could be the appropriate social policy option for Rwanda.