An inmate serving a 15-year sentence at Muhanga Correctional Facility has been arrested after attempting to escape from the facility.
The incident occurred at around 11 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, after the inmate climbed over the facility’s perimeter wall but was intercepted by security officers.
The inmate, identified as Nduwayezu Longin from Kamonyi District, had been detained since December 23, 2025, in connection with a sexual violence case. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Nduwayezu reportedly attempted to escape through an area normally used as a cattle passage before climbing the perimeter wall. However, as soon as he jumped over the wall, he found security personnel on duty and was stopped before he could get away.
According to the report, security officers fired about five shots into the air to prevent him from fleeing.
He was subsequently taken back into the correctional facility as authorities began preparing a case against him in accordance with the law governing inmates who attempt to escape.
What happens when an inmate attempts to escape?
Under Rwanda’s laws governing criminal offences and penalties, as well as legislation regulating correctional services, escaping or attempting to escape from a correctional facility or detention centre constitutes a criminal offence.
An inmate who attempts to escape and is caught can face an additional prison sentence on top of the sentence they are already serving.
An escape carried out without violence or particularly serious deception is punishable by between three and five years in prison.
Where an escape involves breaking through a building or perimeter, offering a bribe or using violence, the offender can face between five and seven years in prison, along with a fine ranging from RWF 500,000 to RWF 1 million.
If weapons, explosives or sleeping substances are used during the escape, the additional sentence ranges from more than seven years to a maximum of 10 years.
Once an inmate who attempted to escape is apprehended, they are returned to the correctional facility and a new case file is prepared and submitted to the relevant judicial authorities.
Any new prison sentence imposed by a court for the escape offence is added to the sentence the inmate was already serving.
