Rwanda National Police

Law enforcement organs have arrested the agronomist for Gahara Sector in Kirehe District in connection with embezzling seeds supplied by the government to local farmers to increase crop production.

Benon Munyakazi was arrested Monday following complaints filed by the affected beneficiaries, Police said.

The seeds are supplied under Smart Nkunganire programme, a supply chain by BK TecHouse Ltd in collaboration with Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) to meet the needs of the agriculture sector, continuously add value for all stakeholders involved; promote cashless economy, facilitate access to finance for the farmers and turn agriculture into a more attractive investment sector.

According to the Police spokesperson for the Eastern Region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, Munyakazi was caught with 40 sacks of maize, which he allegedly stole on different intervals.

“There were complaints from the affected beneficiaries, who claimed that they were getting less than the allocated quantity of maize seeds, which prompted law enforcement organs to swiftly act,” CIP Twizeyimana said.

“When Police officers arrested Munyakazi, he identified one Cleophas Kanimba as his accomplice, who stores and sells the stolen seeds. Police officers went to Kanimba’s home where they recovered 40 sacks of the maize seeds and also arrested Kanimba. The suspects and their exhibits have been handed over to RIB (Rwanda Investigation Bureau) in Kirehe,” he added.

He urged the public to always stand up for their rights and be “eyes and ears of government development programmes in their communities.”
Embezzlement is punishable under article 10 of Law N° 54/2018 of 13/08/2018 on fighting against corruption.

It specifies that “any person, whether public servant or any other agent in charge of public service or working within public organs, an officer or an employee of a commercial institution, a company or a cooperative, an agent of an individual, a religious-based organization or any other organization, who embezzles for personal or someone else’s interests property, funds or securities entrusted to him or her by virtue of his or her office, or any person who uses for personal gains, the staff under his or her authority commits an offence.

Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years but not more than ten years and a fine of three to five times the value equivalent to the value of the embezzled property.”