The Rwanda National Police reports a decline in crimes linked to the consumption of substandard alcoholic beverages following the government’s decision to ban and remove them from the market.
The crackdown targets various illicit and non-compliant alcoholic drinks, including locally produced beverages and bottled products commonly known as “ibyuma.”
Authorities intensified enforcement after investigations highlighted serious health and social consequences associated with the consumption of the drinks. Some consumers reportedly suffered severe health complications, while the beverages were also linked to violence, theft, killings, domestic conflicts and other forms of disorder associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
Rwanda National Police spokesperson ACP Boniface Rutikanga said the security impact of the crackdown is already becoming evident, although crimes associated with alcohol consumption have not been completely eliminated.
“From a security perspective, we could see that people who consumed these drinks behaved abnormally. There were cases of violence, assault and bodily harm, killings, domestic conflicts and the squandering of family resources. These problems were persistent,” Rutikanga said.
He said the situation has improved since authorities began enforcing the ban.
“But since we stopped them on the 2nd up to today, I cannot say that acts of violence have stopped, but I can say that they have decreased,” he said.
Rutikanga explained that authorities took time to gather evidence and coordinate between different institutions before deciding to prohibit the beverages.
He said the process was necessary to ensure that enforcement measures were based on sufficient evidence regarding the risks posed by the drinks to public health and security.
The banned beverages are currently being seized and destroyed in different parts of the country as authorities continue implementing the crackdown.
Police have urged people who still have the prohibited drinks in their possession to hand them over to local authorities rather than keeping or distributing them.
The collected products are expected to be consolidated and destroyed at designated sites.
The crackdown is part of wider government efforts to protect public health, strengthen community safety and address social problems associated with the consumption of unsafe alcoholic beverages.
