Rwanda National Police

Police and local authorities in Nyarugenge District have asked communities living around Mount Kigali forest to protect it.

Residents were also reminded to report people, who are engaged in deforestation practices, which affect the protected forest. 

Two people were, on March 3, caught felling trees in the gazetted forest. Police also found other 72 trees in their two separate homes in Buhoro, Nyakabanda Sector, which they had cut in Mount Kigali forest.

“Cutting trees especially in protected areas is an act of environmental degradation and punishable by law,” Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorette Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for City of Kigali, said.

She added: “We urge communities living near the forest to preserve it, not to tolerate those who destroy it, which contributes to environmental degradation and has huge effects on people’s wellbeing.”

Article 59 of law no 48/2018 of 13/08/2018 on environment, states that “any person, who causes death, destroys protected plants, harvests or damages them, commits an offence.

Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than five years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf3 million.”