The kinetics of the RuIII catalysed oxidation of L-arginine by alkaline permanganate was studied spectrophotometrically using a rapid kinetic accessory. The reaction follows a two stage process. In both the stages the reaction is first order with respect to [oxidant] and [catalyst] with an apparent less than unit order in [substrate] and [alkali]. The data suggest that oxidation proceeds via formation of a complex between the active RuIII species and L-arginine, which then reacts with one mole of permanganate in a slow step to yield a L-arginine free radical, followed by a fast step to form the products. The reaction constants involved in the mechanism were evaluated. There is a good agreement between observed and calculated rate constants under different experimental conditions for both stages of reaction. The activation parameters for the slow step were calculated and are discussed.