Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

The group include five people, who break into targeted houses while two others are said to be charged with selling the stolen electronics, especially flat screen television sets.

The suspects admitted to being behind some of the burglaries in Kigali.

One of the suspects, Augustin Muhawenayo, 32, said that they have an organised group that conducts surveillance to map out houses especially those with flat television screens.

“We were arrested after entering into one of the houses we had targeted in Kibagabaga, Gasabo District, where we stole a flat screen.
We had previously succeeded in breaking into several houses in Kimironko where we also stole a number of television sets,” Muhawenayo narrated.

He explained that they had clients ready to buy every stolen television set, and who were giving them money to facilitate their movements.

Another suspect, Eric Tuyizere, 20, said that he was part of the five-member group that would break into houses.

Tuyizere is the one, who was recently captured by a CCTV camera, and whose identity alongside Muhawenayo, were circulating on social media platforms stealing electronics in a house.

“At the time when we were captured by a CCTV camera, I was with Muhawenayo and Manasse (another arrested member of the ring). We didn’t know there was a camera, but when we noticed that we were in a trap, we only took a flat television screen. My role in this group was to stay outside on watch-out to ensure we are not noticed or arrested,” Tuyizere explained.

Muhawenayo and Tuyizere said that they have been in this criminal business for a while.

Nsabiyeze Nuhu admitted that his role was to get buyers for the stolen items.

He hails from Rubavu District, where he runs an electronics’ shop. He said that he was arrested on his second attempt buying television screens from the same group.

“I was connected to this group by a colleague, who lives here in Kigali. Normally, I deal in new televisions, but this group started supplying me with used TV sets at a cheaper price,” Nsabiyeze said.

He said that he was getting about Rwf100,000 in profits from every TV set he sold.
Nsabiyeze said that he had already bought five TV sets from this group.

One of the victims, Venant Mutaganda, whose stolen items were recovered from the same ring, thanked the Police and other security organs breaking this chain of burglars.

Among his recovered items are a flat TV set and clothes which were stolen in the night of August 3, at his home in Kigarama, Kicukiro District.

RNP spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera said that the force will continue to track people engaged in these criminal activities.

He further warned people, who deal in stolen items and advised the public against buying goods on black market, which can make them accomplices when found with anything stolen.

“This group was identified after we arrested one member, who cooperated and disclosed all his accomplices,” CP Kabera said

He called for further information sharing on anyone suspected to be involved in these criminal activities, including those who buy and sell these stolen electronics.

Theft, under article 166 of the law determining offences and penalties in Rwanda, attracts an imprisonment of one to two years and a fine of between Rwf 1 million and Rwf 2 million, a community service of six months or one of these penalties.

President Kagame who attended graduation ceremony for 28 graduands with Masters Program in Science for Global Health Delivery (MGHD) at UGHE in Butaro, Burera District on Sunday said that the graduands, hailing from different countries across Africa, have a duty of improving delivery of medical services in their respective countries through research and development. He also thanked the investors for making the knowledge available through this university.

He urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of Rwanda. “We hope that you will all find a way of sharing lessons from Rwanda and the region as well as anywhere else in the world. I am very happy to see where your chosen path leads.”

UGHE Principal, Prof Agnes Binagwaho, thanked the graduates for their training in advocacy and the catalyst for change in order to promote the delivery of health services that “contribute to the development of the community.”

“Our UGHE team will continue to deliver on its mission to improve the delivery of health services worldwide through the provision of quality health education and the implementation of programs relevant to today’s needs.” She said
This is the fifth UGHE graduation since 2015.

Their actions are contrary to government directives and instructions to prevent further spread of Coronavirus.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that the violators are from different religious denominations.

They entered the valley at about 5a.m., he said.

“Nyakabuye Police station received information earlier that morning about a big group of people that had sneaked into the valley to pray,” CIP Karekezi said.

“The Police station worked with local leaders and DASSO to arrest all the 24 people in the valley. They belong to different religious denominations including those from ADEPR, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic and Methodist,” he added.

“Usually, conducting such faith-based services in the wildness is prohibited, but worse still they violated the directives as no one was even wearing a facemask, they came from different places where one person infected with COVID-19 would easily infect others; they were in the middle of the valley in the well, which has waterfalls and a hot spring; this was too risky to their lives.”

CIP Karekezi thanked those who provided information on the unlawful and life-threatening practices, and called for the continued spirit of partnership to ensure that the directives are respected and violators penalized accordingly.

He becomes second victim to be recorded this week-end following another 51 year old man who passed on yesterday.

“Condolences to the family of a 77-year-old man who passed away in Kigali,” partly reads a statement from the Ministry.

Despite these losses, other figures inspire hope that the country is making good progress in the fight against COVID-19.

6 new cases were recorded on Sunday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 2140; the number of recoveries is ever increasing with 46 patients who recovered on Sunday bringing the total to 1346 recoveries.

The active cases that are being reviewed are now 787.

Those arrested are Jean Marie Vianney Yadufashije, 27, Gaspard Habiyambere, 32, and Consolée Yankurije, 33.

They were found in closed coltan concession located in Rusebeya Sector, Kabona Cell.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that the suspects are part of the group of about 40 members, who conduct illegal mining activities in the closed site.

“Besides being illegal to carry out mining activities when they were not authorised, this is a concession that was closed on safety grounds. Going there is not only unlawful but risky to one’s life,” CIP Karekezi said.

“They had a heap of soil, which they were taking to filter to get coltan,” he added.

The spokesperson noted that the concession is in a dire state and anything small can cause a landslide.

Such illegal acts, he noted, have equally affected the environment in the area as well as destroying people’s gardens and blocking water channels from where they filter and wash the minerals.

Article 54 of the law on mining and quarry operations, states that; “any person, who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing or trading without a license commits an offence.”

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.

The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a license.

The classrooms built under the auspices of World Bank and the Government of Rwanda were completed at a cost of about Rwf1 billion.

Gisagara District Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Jean Paul Habineza, on Friday presented to the administration of Shyanda Primary School in Save Sector nine new classrooms and 10 toilet. He urged parents to help children attend classes on the radio as they await school opening.

“Classroom population will reduce from 70 to 45 learners. This is a big success in getting away with classroom overcrowding,” he said.

Some residents of Save Sector told IGIHE that they are happy with the classrooms that are being built close to their homes and that they are also ready to help their children learn better.

The principal of Shyanda Primary School, Innocent Nzuwonizeye, said the overcrowding in the classrooms was a major obstacle hindering children from learning effectively; he says that now that that will no longer be a problem, the result will be improvement of quality education.

The Gisagara District Administration says a second phase of the 289-room World Bank-sponsored chamber is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by September 2020.

The distillery owned by one Protais Nsabimana, was operating in his house located in Kirebe Village, Nyarutembe Cell of Rugera Sector.

During the operations conducted on Thursday, August 6, Police and local leaders impounded over 2,700 litres of illicit brew, which they had already distilled.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson of Western region, said that one Nteziryayo Ntibategera, 33, whom Nsabimana had hired to oversee the production of the illicit substances, was arrested at the scene.

“Local residents provided information about a house that had been turned into a distillery producing illicit drinks.
Police and local authorities went to the said house and indeed found Nteziryayo producing the substances. He had already distilled over 2,700 litres in drums,” CIP Karekezi said.

He added: “The place, raw materials as well as drums and other containers they were using; everything was so dirty that it raised health concerns for consumers.”

Nteziryayo said that he was mixing sugar, Pakimaya and other substances to make the brew.

RSB specifies that “only food grade processing aids recognized as safe for human consumption shall be used during the manufacture.”

Other standard requirements include labeling as a prerequisite; the name of the products, physical and postal address of manufacturer; net contents in milliliters or liters; ethyl alcohol content; date of manufacture and expiry date; storage instruction; statutory warnings; and list of ingredients in descending order.

All drinks with alcoholic content above 45 percent or with unknown alcoholic content is considered as a psychotropic substance.

“This is part of the ongoing operations against distillers and dealers in psychotropic substances. We are working in partnership with local leaders and the operations are largely based on credible information we receive from the public. The operations are meant to break the manufacturing and distribution chains,” CIP Karekezi said.

Article 263 of Rwanda penal code stipulates that any person who, unlawfully, produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offense, with a sentence upon conviction, ranging between seven years and life in prison, and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.

It is said that Tuyishime was especially targeting individuals with cases or whose relatives are battling legal actions for their alleged unlawful acts.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, said that Tuyishime was arrested after defrauding a local resident of Rwf50,000.

“The suspect learnt that a local elderly woman had a son, who was arrested recently over assault causing body injuries,” CIP Twizeyimana said.

Tuyishime is also a local resident in Muzizi village, Rukara Cell in Rukara Sector.

“He approached the family calling himself a member of law enforcement organs with powers and demanded Rwf200,000 to release their detained relative.

They bargained and settled for Rwf50,000 for the service. The woman paid the money, waited for the release of his son in vain, which prompted her to bring the matter forward to Rukara Police station,” CIP Twizeyimana said.

Tuyishime was located and arrested.

According to CIP Twizeyimana, it is not the first time that Tuyishime has been implicated in similar criminal activities.

“He was equally wanted in connection with defrauding other disadvantaged families in Kawangire and Rukara cells, recently, promising to get them financial support offered under Vision Umurenge Programme.”

The spokesperson advised the public to avoid taking shortcuts, which are also unlawful in nature and make them prey to such fraudsters.

“Go through the right channels to get a service you need rather than rendering yourself vulnerable to criminal attempts.”

Clause One of article 174 of the law determining offences and penalties in general, defines fraud as deception, obtaining another person’s property, whole or part of his/her finance by use of false names or qualifications, or offering positive promises or threats of future misfortunes.

Clause Two of the same article provides a term of imprisonment of between two and three years, and a fine of not less than Rwf3 million but not more than Rwf5 million, upon conviction.