English
Kinyarwanda
Muhanga district residents argued to always report grievances and illegal acts committed against them instead of taking the law in their own hands.
The message was delivered in Muhanga District on August 04, during an interactive meeting between residents, local leaders, police and army officers operating in the district.
During the meeting, it was observed that sometimes residents rush into illegal activities like mob justice, which ends up harming innocent lives – and they were urged to instead work with the police and other law enforcers to apprehend suspect so that they can face justice.
The Mayor of Muhanga, Yvonne Mutakwasuku, reminded the residents to always cooperate with police through the provision of timely information in order to collectively overcome crime.
The District Community Liaison Officer of Muhanga, Inspector of Police (IP) Claver Kayihura, noted in his discussion, that sometimes people do not report cases of injustice simply because they want to revenge, yet this might trigger more violence and acts of injustice.
“First of all, if you are subject to extreme provocation, burglary, violence or any form of crime, immediately report the incident to police so that immediate legal action can be taken. If you take it upon yourself to commit a felony against those who harmed you, you stand to be charged,” he said.
He further noted that although there are not many cases of mob justice in Rwanda, the community should further discourage those individuals who have in the past participated in brutal violence against the suspects.
His remarks were founded on a recent incident that occurred late last month, when residents of Muhanga stormed the house of a woman accused of being a witch and threatened her with violence if she did not leave the area.
“You should all be exemplary in the fight against mob justice, by alerting police whenever a suspect is apprehended in public places, as well as urging people not to engage in any violent acts on the suspect,” IP Kayihura noted.
Residents who attended the meeting expressed gratitude to police for always reaching out to them with important information about the law, which has enabled them to understand better their role in crime prevention.
