President Paul Kagame has weighed in on the arrest of a young woman over her clothing, saying he saw nothing wrong with what she was wearing and suggesting that the police officers involved may have misunderstood their instructions.
He made the remarks on October 21, 2026, during the “Meet the President” dialogue with young people at BK Arena.
Kagame said he had followed the public debate sparked by a video circulating on social media showing two police officers handcuffing a woman and putting her into a vehicle over her appearance.
The incident drew widespread criticism, with many people questioning the woman’s treatment. The Rwanda National Police later apologised, acknowledged that the officers had acted improperly and said disciplinary measures had been taken, while the woman was to receive justice.
Kagame said he contacted the Inspector General of Police, CG Felix Namuhoranye, after seeing the video to ask for an explanation.
According to the President, Namuhoranye told him that the officers had not properly understood the instructions they were given. Kagame said he then asked the police chief to send him a photograph of the woman so he could see what she had been wearing.
After seeing the photograph, Kagame said he could not understand why the woman had been arrested.
“What exactly was she arrested for? From what I can see, the things that should not be exposed in public were covered. What was the problem?” he recalled asking.
The President said people should dress appropriately for the places they intend to visit, noting that clothing suitable in one setting may not be appropriate in another.
He used the example of someone dressed for a visit to the beach who then appears in a different public setting wearing the same clothes.
“At the beach, where people go to relax, there are certain ways of dressing that are acceptable. But if someone dressed for the beach suddenly appears here in the same outfit, would that be appropriate? People would turn around and ask what had happened to that person,” he said.
Kagame added that expectations around appropriate clothing apply to both women and men. For example, he said, a man who attends a formal meeting dressed in sportswear could also prompt questions about his choice of clothing.
