{"id":45121,"date":"2022-01-14T06:48:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T06:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/youtuber-shyaka-who-plotted-fake-abduction-claim-returns-discloses-uganda-s\/"},"modified":"2022-02-01T13:54:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T13:54:52","slug":"youtuber-shyaka-who-plotted-fake-abduction-claim-returns-discloses-uganda-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/youtuber-shyaka-who-plotted-fake-abduction-claim-returns-discloses-uganda-s\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTuber Shyaka who plotted fake abduction claim returns, discloses Uganda\u2019s collaboration with Rwanda\u2019s dissidents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shyaka,30, is the owner of a YouTube channel dubbed \u2018Ijwi ry\u2019Imfubyi\u2019 translated as \u2018The Voice of Orphans\u2019 where he propagated revisionist agenda. <\/p>\n

The man’s plot to flee the country was facilitated by a female Rwandan called Eug\u00e9nie Muhayimana living in New Castle, United Kingdom who works with Uganda\u2019s CMI. <\/p>\n

Shyaka has two children who live at his home in Nyamabuye cell, Byumba sector of Gicumbi district. <\/p>\n

Following his return, IGIHE has visited him at his home in Nyamabuye cell where he talked about his plans to flee the country and the collaboration he has had with CMI. <\/p>\n

Information about his abduction went viral on social media since June 2021, particularly disseminated through platforms owned by members of a subversive group intending to tarnish Rwanda. <\/p>\n

{{How it began}}<\/p>\n

In April 2021, Shyaka featured in a talk show on \u2018Umurabyo TV\u2019, a YouTube channel owned by Agnes Nkusi Uwimana who is criticized for airing talks fuelling Genocide ideology. <\/p>\n

Speaking to IGIHE, Shyaka said that he was first contacted by Uwimana who requested him to feature in her next YouTube talk show but dictated him what to say with a promise of financial support. <\/p>\n

\u201cCyuma Hassan gave her my phone number. She called me and promised financial support if I agreed to feature in her talk show. She invited me at the headquarters of Rwanda Media Commission [RMC] in Remera and informed me that I wouldn\u2019t receive any help if I refused to speak what he dictated me. So, I did what she obliged me,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cAgnes Uwimana is the first person who dragged me into revisionism agenda to talk about Hutus and Tutsis. I shared my phone number I started appearing in the talk shows. That is when people, majority of whom living abroad started contacting me and sending money,\u201d added Shyaka. <\/p>\n

As the man explained, he abandoned his construction job as he started receiving regular calls from members of the subversive group promising financial support. <\/p>\n

Some of people who sent money include Eug\u00e9nie Muhayimana who expressed interest in his talk show and pledged support. At the time, Muhayimana sent 50 pounds equivalent to Rwf70,000. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe called me like others had been doing regularly, informed me that she wanted to send me some money because she liked my talk show. She sent me 50 pounds via my wife\u2019s account in BK,\u201d Shyaka disclosed. <\/p>\n

Shyaka narrated that Muhayimana continued to call him every day until she promised him a house in Kigali. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe stood by my side and called me regularly that we used to hold conversations for many hours every day. She told me her background and asked me to link her to my elder brother and wife. I shared their phone numbers with her that they started chatting,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

As time went by, Muhayimana advised Shyaka to open a YouTube channel to air songs and talk shows advocating for underprivileged people. <\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, I opened a YouTube channel called \u2018Ijwi ry\u2019Imfubyi\u2019 where I started airing talks. I had a small phone at the time. I added few amount of money to Rwf100,000 received from a member of the subversive group to buy a smart phone which I used to record talk shows to be uploaded on YouTube,\u201d he revealed. <\/p>\n

{{Plan to escape}}<\/p>\n

During Muhayimana\u2019s regular conversations with Shyaka, she often told him that he would be kidnapped one day. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe used to tell me that I would be kidnapped, killed or incarcerated. There were more people who used to talk about the same thing but some of them declined to introduce themselves. Between 1st and 25th June, Muhayimana started asking me to flee the country that plans to kill me were underway. When I asked how I would escape, she promised me to take me to the United Kingdom,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Shyaka agreed with Muhayimana who facilitated him to flee to one of countries in East Africa. <\/p>\n

Initially, Muhayimana advised Shyaka to seek a travel permit. <\/p>\n

Following delay in issuance of the permit, she started putting pressure on him to escape as soon as possible lest he would be abducted. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe assured me that I would be helped to flee to Uganda like they had facilitated other people and asked me to confirm whether I accept to leave the country where I was targeted for abduction. She asked me to travel to Musanze where I had to be helped to cross to Uganda,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Shyaka informed her wife who insisted that they should escape through Gatuna instead of Musanze. <\/p>\n

On 22nd August 2021, Shyaka who was living in Kigali separately from his children who had stayed with their grandmother, went to Gatuna along with his wife. <\/p>\n

\u201cUpon arrival at Gatuna, I had my identity card but my wife didn\u2019t. That is when he was arrested by security officials at the border. I escaped and returned to Byuma where I spent a night and woke up in the wee hours to travel to Musanze as I had been advised by Muhayimana,\u201d he divulged. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs I arrived in Musanze, a motorcyclist rode me to a place that I was not familiar with. I gave him Rwf5000 and returned the balance of Rwf1000. He took me to a tall dark-skinned man who also linked me to two children in the age bracket between 14 and 16. We trekked a long distance through dense banana plantation and stony ground,\u201d Shyaka added. <\/p>\n

At that time, Muhayimana had linked Shyaka to a woman living in Kampala. <\/p>\n

The two children took him to a place where he met with smugglers with packages of illicit brew known as Kanyanga and clothes. Shyaka was then told that he reached the destination. <\/p>\n

\u201cI met the woman who took me to Kisoro town. That is when I rested assured that I have reached Uganda,\u201d he revealed. <\/p>\n

\"Shyaka<\/figure>\n

{{Collaboration with CMI}}<\/p>\n

As Shyaka arrived in Kisoro, he was welcomed by a person called \u2018Bo\u2019 who went with him to a home where he found many Kinyarwanda-speaking people. <\/p>\n

\u201cI guessed it was Boy\u2019s job because there were many people. He traveled with them in batches until my turn was reached. He took me to a Police station in Kisoro. Upon arrival, I called Muhayimana informing her that I had started facing issues. Muhayimana talked to people who were guiding me. They took me to a place known as Kyabira,\u201dhe said. <\/p>\n

Before the travel, Muhayimana had advised Shyaka to introduce himself as his brother wherever he goes. <\/p>\n

Arriving in Kyabira, Shyaka said that he was fleeing Rwanda over attempted abduction associated with talk shows aired on his YouTube channel. <\/p>\n

On 23rd August 2021, he was taken to Kisoro Police Station from where he was taken to another place the following day. <\/p>\n

Shyaka narrated that he was taken in a \u2018Pandagari\u2019, a vehicle that transports suspected criminals or detainees accompanied by two soldiers including one with the rank of captain. <\/p>\n

\u201cUpon arrival at the destination, I heard them speaking in English that they have handed me over. There was also a female soldier who asked me whether I was a journalist or spy. I was dropped there and taken to a detention facility where I saw many detainees, some of them seeming to be Rwandans. The soldier who accompanied me told his colleagues that I was not a criminal,\u201d he disclosed. <\/p>\n

Shyaka went on to explain that he was left at the facility and detained in a small room that had been previously used as a toilet. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was lodged in a very small room that was previously used as a latrine. They brought me a mattress on which I had to sleep but security officers who accompanied me had returned. I was served porridge in the morning as well as maize bread for lunch and dinner,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Three days later staying in the same room, a soldier took him to his superior called Captain Habyarimana John with office on the second floor. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the first person I heard speaking Kinyarwanda since I arrived at the facility. The soldier told me that he had my dossier and asked me how I got there. I narrated how I lived in Rwanda and circumstances under which I fled the country,\u201d he noted. <\/p>\n

After two weeks, Shyaka revealed, he started receiving his phone to talk to Muhayimana. All contacts had been deleted except the latter\u2019s number. <\/p>\n

\u201cMuhayimana started telling me that she sent money to Captain Habyarimana John to treat me decently in the detention facility,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\"YouTuber<\/figure>\n

{{Refugee status}}<\/p>\n

As IGIHE visited Shyaka at his home in Gicumbi district on Thursday 13th January 2022, he showed us the documents granting him refugee status issued by Uganda\u2019s Office of the Prime Minister. <\/p>\n

After spending 68 days, Shyaka revealed that he was interrogated at different times by Captain Habyarimana to provide more details about his situation in Rwanda. <\/p>\n

He was once taken to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and later taken to a lodge. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was taken to the Office of Prime Minister escorted by two soldiers with small guns. They recorded my fingerprints, signature and got all relevant information about me,\u201d Shyaka disclosed. <\/p>\n

\u201cMuhayimana was the person behind plans to release me from CMI detention facility to pick the document from OPM. However, I was not aware of all the procedures involved until I obtained the document. Since then, I never returned to CMI facility but rather was linked to Major John Nawamanya who took me to a lodge where I was housed,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

Since then, Shyaka disclosed that he received his phone and the document granting him refugee status issued by Prime Minister. <\/p>\n

He started receiving calls from people including Matata Joseph and Freeman Bikorwa among others who asked him to propagate talks tarnishing Rwanda. <\/p>\n

\u201cMuhayimana started telling me to freely air views that I feared to express in Rwanda. You have identifications, you are going to live with your children but you need to express your views freely as you are safe in Uganda,\u201d Shyaka revealed. <\/p>\n

Muhayimana had already helped Shyaka\u2019s children to cross to Uganda by the time he he was granted refugee status. Shyaka planned to return home soon as he was taken to live with his children in Uganda. <\/p>\n

\"YouTuber<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

{Gilbert Shyaka, a man who was once reported missing under a plotted fake abduction claim after leaving the country illegally, has returned to Rwanda and disclosed his close collaboration with Uganda\u2019s Chieftaincy Military Intelligence (CMI).}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[72,75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-45121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-featured-news-home","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45121\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45121"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=45121"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=45121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}