Rwanda National Police

Police in Rutsiro and Nyabihu districts have recovered at least 25 bags of cement, which were stolen from various infrastructure development sites.

The construction materials were recovered on Thursday, September 24, with the support of the local residents, who shared information on the theft and prime suspects.

The cement was stolen from Ecole Secondaire Nego in Nyabihu, where the government is constructing more school blocks under the 12-Year Education Programme while 11 others were stolen from the Chinese company constructing Gisiza-Murunda road.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi said that three people have so far been arrested in connection with the theft.

In Nyabihu, 14 bags of cement stolen from Ecole Secondaire Nego, were recovered in Jenda Sector.

"In the night of September 23, an unknown man abandoned a bag of cement and ran away after he saw people. This prompted the school administration, out of suspicion, to check their store and found 35 bags missing.

We started searching in homes whose owners are suspected to be connected to the theft or their houses used as stores," CIP Karekezi said.

"During the search, we recovered 14 bags in the house of one man only identified as Nkundabagenzi. There was information that he buys cement stolen from the school, although during the operation Nkundabagenzi had escaped."

CIP Karekezi said that law enforcement organs and local leaders are working together to identify and arrest all those connected to this theft and to recover other 21 bags of cement still missing.

In Rutsiro, he said that the Chinese road construction firm constructing Gisiza- Murunda road has been reporting the theft of their cement. 

He added there was information that one Nyirabageni, who is in charge of the cement store, was behind the theft.

"Nyirabageni was put under watch, on Thursday afternoon, he took out a bag of cement and Police trailed him to the nearby house of the resident, where 10 bags were recovered. 

Another bags was recovered from another resident, who had just bought it and taken out of the same house, which was being used as their store."

It is not clear how many bags of cement Nyirabageni had allegedly stolen.

Nyirabageni alongside his two accomplices were handed over to RIB at Murunda station.