DJ Toxxyk was arrested on December 21, 2025, following a traffic accident that occurred in Nyarugenge District during the early hours of the previous day. The accident claimed the life of a police officer.
During the investigation that followed, authorities also reportedly discovered cannabis at his residence.
Prosecutors charged him with involuntary manslaughter, engaging in activities related to narcotic drugs and similar substances, fleeing the scene after causing an accident, and refusing to undergo an alcohol test.
On May 4, 2026, the Kicukiro Primary Court convicted DJ Toxxyk on all charges and sentenced him to three months of community service, suspended for six months, along with a fine of Rwf 1.05 million.
Following the ruling, DJ Toxxyk was released from Nyarugenge Prison in Mageragere. However, the prosecution expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence and immediately decided to appeal.
On May 6, the prosecution officially filed its appeal before Nyarugenge Intermediate Court. During the hearing held on May 15, prosecutors argued that the Primary Court failed to properly consider the gravity and consequences of the offenses committed by DJ Toxxyk, while also overlooking the purpose of criminal punishment and the relevant provisions of the law.
According to the prosecution, the sentence imposed did not meet the legal objectives of punishment, which are intended not only to rehabilitate offenders but also to serve as a warning and deterrent to others. Prosecutors maintained that the penalties handed down were insufficient to achieve those goals.
The prosecution further argued that the court failed to correctly apply Article 49 of the law, which requires judges to determine sentences based on the seriousness of the offense, the damage caused, and the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Prosecutors stressed that DJ Toxxyk’s actions resulted in severe consequences, including the death of a police officer who was on duty at the time of the accident. They therefore argued that the fines and community service sentences imposed by the Primary Court were disproportionately light.
As a result, the prosecution asked the intermediate court to review the sentence and impose a five-year prison term along with a fine of Rwf 2.21 million, citing the accumulation of multiple offenses.
Appearing before the court, DJ Toxxyk expressed remorse for all the offenses he committed and stated that he believed the sentence delivered by the Primary Court was fair and proportionate to his actions.
His lawyer, Marie Josée Uwamahoro, defended the ruling of the primary court, arguing that the penalties imposed were fully in accordance with the law and contained no legal irregularities. She urged the court to dismiss the prosecution’s appeal as baseless.
She explained that for the charge of involuntary manslaughter, her client received the legally prescribed fine of Rwf 1 million, while the offense of fleeing after causing an accident carried the legal fine of Rwf 30,000.
Regarding the refusal to undergo alcohol testing, DJ Toxxyk was fined Rwf 10,000, while the sentence of community service related to the drug-related offense was also provided for under Rwandan law, according to the defense.
Another defense lawyer, Faustin Murangwa, argued that judges have discretionary powers to impose the minimum penalties provided by law and, in certain circumstances, may even issue lighter sentences where justified.
He also criticized the prosecution for introducing harsher sentencing demands during the appeal process, arguing that such requests amounted to new claims that should not ordinarily be presented at the appellate stage.
The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court is expected to deliver its verdict on May 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
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