Security personnel ban sale of alcohol in Ryakarimira town council

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security authorities have banned the sale of alcohol along Uganda-Rwanda border of Ryakarimira town council in Ndorwa West County, Kabale district.

The order comes days after Rwandan security officials shot dead one person and injured two others.  Chabobuzi Bizimuremye alias Chabobo, 23, a resident of Sebukuma village, Musenda parish, Gatebe sub county in Burera district, Rwanda was shot in the chest and buttocks last Friday at around 9:30 pm while at Nyakena village in Rwanda about 100 metres away from the border.

His colleagues Rusizi Rwamayanje was shot on the leg while Ronald Nyihabusa was shot on the shoulder. Bizimuremye died from Muguri trading centre while being rushed to Muguri health centre II for treatment.

The deceased and the injured had crossed back to Rwanda through a porous border of Muguri B before they were intercepted by Rwandan security officials. The victims had spent the whole evening in Muguri trading centre, Ryakarimira town council and later crossed with bags of smuggled local waragi.

Dan Byaruhanga, the Kigezi Region Police Commander says that security has realized that despite the border closure by Rwandan authorities, Rwandan nationals have continued to sneak into Uganda through porous borders to smuggle and drink alcohol especially local waragi.

Byaruhanga says that security has also launched a routine sensitization exercise to residents along Ugandan border not to cross to Rwanda saying that their security is not guaranteed.

Enock Kazooba, Ryakarimira town council LCIII chairman supports the directive saying that it will save them from Rwandans flocking the area through porous borders to smuggle waragi.

Kazooba says that as the town council security chairperson, he has started liaising with village chairpersons to identify and report bar owners who defy the order.

According to Kazooba, whenever Rwandan nationals cross, they drink a lot of waragi and start fighting which attracts Rwandan security operatives to waylay them near the border while crossing back.

Bosco Muhereza and Jane Turinawe, all bar owners at Muguri village in Ryakarimira say that the order is not favourable because Rwandan nationals also cross to Uganda to buy food for survival in addition to waragi. They also say that the order suffocates business of waragi because they are the big customers.

Bizimuremye’s body is still stuck at Kabale regional referral hospital mortuary since the incident as Rwandan government remains mute.

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