Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

Assorted items including money, foodstuff, building materials and a mattress were stolen from the house of Josiane Nyiransabimana earlier that morning.

Some of the stolen items including building materials and one mattress were recovered from one of the suspected thieves identified as Jean Claude Uwihoreye, 26, who was also taken into custody.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that Police have identified two other accomplices in the burglary called Abbas Niyomugabo, 29, and one only identified as Nshimiyimana, both residents of Kabaya.

The search for Niyomugabo and Nshimiyimana is still underway.

“At about 9am on Friday, just after Nyiransabimana left her house, people broke into her home and stole varied items and money amounting to Rwf100, 000. Following reports about the house break-in, neighbouring residents provided information pointing fingures at Uwihoreye, Niyomugabo and Nshimiyimana, whom they had seen roaming around the house that very morning,” CIP Karekezi said.

He added: “With the help of residents, Kabaya Police station located and arrested Uwihoreye after he was found with some of the stolen items including a sack of maize flour, mattress and a bag of nails.

Residents had previously reported Uwihoreye and his group of youth to be behind series of burglaries in the area.”

He thanked the residents for the spirit of community policing and neighbourhood watch in fighting and preventing crimes, and bringing wrongdoers to justice through strong collaboration in information sharing.

In article 166 of the law determining offences and penalties in general, any person convicted for theft is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year and not more than two years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf2 million, community service in a period of six (6) months or only one of these penalties.

However, in article 167, the penalty doubles if the theft was carried out by more than one person or at night.

Among others, 277 new cases have been found out of 6423 sample tests while 165 have recovered. The statement released last night shows that new cases were found in 16 districts across the country and Kigali city.

These include Kigali: 139, Ngoma: 22, Kirehe: 19, Rulindo: 18, Huye: 15 , Gicumbi: 12 , Gisagara: 12, Nyamasheke: 7 , Musanze: 7, Muhanga: 5 , Rwamagana: 4 , Nyanza: 4 , Rubavu: 4 , Gakenke: 3 , Nyamagabe: 2 , Karongi: 2 and Nyagatare: 2.

Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year. Since then, 10,850 people have been tested positive out of 791,472 sample tests of whom 7193 have recovered, 3517 are active cases while 140 have succumbed to the pandemic.

Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.

The theft happened in the wee hours of Friday in Nyagatare village, Gishuru cell of Tabagwe sector in the vicinity of Rwanda, Uganda border.

The executive secretary of Tabagwe sector, Célestin Munyangabo has told IGIHE that they are linking up with Ugandan counterparts to recover stolen livestock.

“They have stolen eight cows and three goats belonging to five residents in the wee hours of 15th January 2021. We are liaising with local leaders in Uganda to return stolen livestock to owners because we have already identified places where they are located,” he said.

Munyangabo explained that they have tightened security to prevent similar theft.

“We have taken strict security measures; encouraged residents to protect their livestock because it is not the first time Ugandans cross to steal livestock from Rwanda. The latest case occurred two months ago,” revealed Munyangabo.

Nyagatare is one of districts in the neighborhood of Uganda with six sectors touching the border. These include Matimba, Musheri, Karama, Tabagwe, Kiyombe and Rwempasha.

Speaking at the launch yesterday, Jeanne Bamurange, the team site leader from National Centre for Blood Transfusion Division under RBC said she was happy with the turn up of soldiers who came for the blood donation exercise.

“It is just amazing to see this spirit among our soldiers. They turned in big numbers, with good will, and donated blood. It is encouraging and serves as an example for the rest of the Rwandan community,” she said adding that “RDF is a loyal partner in this exercise”.

After donating blood; Maj Joseph Mustafa, one of RDF officers considered the donation a human act to save lives of people.

“ It is an act of good will and people should understand that every one may be in need of blood because of illness or serious injuries,’’ he explained.

The blood donation exercise, which kicked off on 15th January 2021, will cover a whole year calendar of collecting blood from different RDF units and formations.

In partnership with RDF, Rwanda Biomedical Centre has been collecting blood from the military since 2013.

Among others, 257 new cases have been found out of 5538 sample tests while 54 have recovered. It is for the first time Rwanda records the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in one day since the pandemic emerged.

The statement released last night shows that new cases were found in Kigali: 159, Gicumbi: 16, Gisagara: 14, Rwamagana: 13, Huye: 13, Karongi: 10, Muhanga: 7: Kirehe: 7, Nyagatare: 4, Musanze: 3, Gatsibo: 2, Ngoma: 2, Rubavu: 2, Ruhango: 1, Rusizi: 1, Nyamagabe: 1, Burera: 1 and Ngororero: 1.

Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 case on 14th March 2020. Since then, 10 573 people have been tested positive out of 785,049 sample tests of whom 7028 have recovered, 3407 are active cases while 138 have succumbed to the virus.

Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.

The quartet was showed to the media on Friday, January 15, at the Police metropolitan headquarters in Remera.

They include one Edson Uwitonze, who was allegedly buying and selling metal pieces stolen from pylons; Emmanuel Muhirwa, a taxi-moto operator, who was allegedly transporting thieves and metal pieces taken from pylons; Samuel Ndayizeye, one of the suspected thieves vandalizing the powerlines; and one Eric Kubwimana, who was linking thieves to dealers in metals or scraps.

Uwitonze and Kubwimana were arrested together in Nyabugogo suburb of Nyarugenge District with pieces of pylons, which the latter was delivering to the former.

Meanwhile, the motorcyclist Muhirwa was arrested in Kabuye, Gasabo District on Thursday while transporting Ndayizeye with metal pieces stolen from vandalized pylons.

At the time, Ndayizeye managed to flee but was located and arrested later.

Muhirwa explained that he was hired by Ndayizeye to transport him to Nyabugogo.

“Ndayizeye entered a house in Kabuye, came out with pieces of pylons which he was taking to Nyabugogo but he run away immediately when he saw people approaching,” Muhirwa said.

Uwitonze, on the other hand, argued that he was not aware that the metal pieces he was buying and selling were stolen from pylons.

Stanley Nkubito, the head for energy efficiency and revenue protection at EUCL-REG, said that these criminal activities continue to cause power blackout in some parts of the country.

“We register at least 50 cases of people destroying pylons every year. Since the beginning of this year and this raises concern. In some cases, this vandalism cause power outage in areas that are supplied by the same electricity line” Nkubito said.

He explained that this prompted REG to constitute a team that works with security organs to fight such criminal activities.

“The effects of these criminal activities are way above the value of the vandalised pylons; Rwf50 million or Rwf60 million for one pylon is nowhere close to how much is lost by disconnecting homes, industries, factories, shops, fridges, hospitals and many other businesses that rely on electricity,” Nkubito added.

RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera warned that the force will continue the search and arrest of anyone that destroys public infrastructure, which affects service delivery, lead businesses into losses as well as the government in terms of repairing the affected utilities.

“Everyone, including these suspects, benefit from electricity in one way or another. It is the responsibility of everyone to protect these infrastructures jealously to ensure that anyone that attempts to destroy them is arrested,” CP Kabera said.

According to article 182 of the law relating to offences and penalties in general in Rwanda, “any person, who maliciously demolishes or damages in any way, in whole or in part of construction, building, bridge, dams, water pipes and their routes, railway rails or any other means of communication or electric power infrastructure, wells or any other constructions, which do not belong to him/her, commits an offence.

Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three (3) years and not more than five (5) years with a fine of not less than Rwf3 million and not more than Rwf5 million.

The soldier died in an ambush by a coalition of rebels near Grimari, roughly 300 kilometres northeast of the capital Bangui, the UN said, during a security mission to the town with Burundian and Bangladeshi peacekeepers.

MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping force in the region also said in a statement that two Bangladeshi soldiers were lightly wounded.

In a statement from New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and reiterated his “deep concern over the continued destabilisation efforts by armed groups throughout the country”.

Guterres urged all parties to immediately stop the violence and resolve their differences through peaceful means.

It follows a month-long rebellion after six of the most powerful armed groups, who have occupied roughly two-thirds of the country for eight years, united.

The coalition announced an offensive ahead of December 27 presidential and legislative elections, aimed at preventing Faustin Archange Toudera’s re-election.

Landlocked CAR is one of the world’s poorest nations and has seen a string of coups and wars since it gained independence from France in 1960.

On Wednesday, the rebel forces mounted their closest attack yet to Bangui before being pushed back with the loss of a peacekeeper, the UN said.

On January 4, President Touadera was declared the victor, although the political opposition cried foul.