Rwanda National Police

Strengthened operations against “grave traffic offences” led to the arrest of about 250 drivers over the weekend for either driving while drunk or disconnecting the speed governor device. All drivers were arrested in City of Kigali.

At least 144 drivers were arrested for drunk driving. 80 drunk drivers were arrested Friday night, 37 in the night of Saturday while other 27 were arrested Sunday night.

Over 300 drivers have been arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol since the operation was launched three weeks ago.

The operations came as a deliberate response against human behaviours, which are largely blamed for road carnage.

While appearing on ‘Waramutse Rwanda’ (Good Morning Rwanda), a morning show on Rwanda Television, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, Commissioner for Public Relations and Media and RNP spokesperson, said that although “security remains intact across the country”, reckless drivers continue to cause insecurity on roads, injuring and claiming lives, destroying public infrastructure and people’s property.

“Road safety is still being challenged by unacceptable human behaviors especially drunk driving and drivers who disconnect speed governor devices so as to speed, another cause of fatal accidents,” CP Kabera said.

“The advice is clear; when you drink don’t drive, it is for your own safety and the safety of those you are driving or other people on the road. Everyone has to be safe on the road; we can’t allow someone to be a security threat to other road users.”

Drunk driving is a traffic offence that attracts a fine of Rwf150, 000 and a    detention under investigation, while tampering with speed governor device attracts a fine of Rwf200, 000. If any of the offences lead to another offence, the traffic offender faces additional fines as the law specifies.

Drunk driving and tampering with speed governor also leads to confiscation of driver's license and impounding the vehicle.