{President Paul Kagame has called on concerned parties to facilitate revision of the penal code that would see petty thieves getting strong punishments instead of handling their cases through mediation which has created impunity and persistence of domestic animals’ theft. Kagame made the call during his recent visit to Rubavu district where residents reported to him that many thieves are given light sentences by mediators, yet their acts of theft dog people’s progress.
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In a free exchange of ideas and issues with the residents and opinion leaders last Friday, President Kagame was told that some herdsmen have been robbed of their only fortune, domestic animals, yet the culprits are let scot-free after very light punishments that are not commensurate with the crime.
One of the residents, Musare Havugimana Cleophas said it is very unfair for animal breeders in Rubavu to be left in sweeping poverty when their tormentors loiter about in freedom.
“Domestic animals’ theft is becoming more rampant. Thieves slaughter cows inside the kraals or take them to neighboring countries. However, when it so happens that a thief is caught, the culprits are given light sentences by the mediation committees,” he said.
Musare said that most of the cow thieves are detained at police stations for very short stints and return to communities, tormenting and witch-hunt those that reported them. He pointed out an example of a recent case where a thief was caught red-handed carrying three cows, taken to police but complainants were told that police don’t handle theft cases under the value of Rwf 5 million.
President Kagame explained that aggravated theft cases are not supposed to be handled by community mediators, but treated as a crime meant to be settled before the courts of law. He said that the duty of community mediators should be mediation of people in informal conflicts and wondered whether the meaning of the word “Kunga” (mediation) was mended in legal terms.
“How come you bring cases of people breaking houses to steal properties or steal cows before community mediators?” he wondered.
“If the law allows for such grievous cases to be handled that way, then that law should be revised,” he advised.
Minister in the office of the presidency, Venantie Twagirayezu told President Kagame that such practices are granted by current laws.
“The situation is true. Some crimes were handed to community mediators. The move was prompted by matter of court cases that used to be delayed for long. Hence measures of clearing backlogs were devised and mediators came into action,” she said.
President Kagame said that he doesn’t understand a ‘small crime.’
“A person comes in one’s home, steals a cow to be slaughtered or sold; he is caught red handed and proceeds through mediation?”he wondered.
He said that he has been hearing theft cases increasing across the country and said the law structure might be the main cause since impunity seems to encourage others to steal.
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