Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye on Saturday, April 11, emphasized that anyone who withholds information relevant for contact tracing, or knowingly fails to report COVID-19 symptoms, jeopardises public safety and therefore will be punished in accordance with applicable laws.
Busingye said this during an interview on public broadcaster, Rwanda Television.
The warning comes as Rwanda has, as of now, confirmed 118 COVID-19 cases since the first outbreak on March 14.
7 of these cases recovered and 11 more people will be discharged from COVID-19 treatment centre on Saturday, April 11.
According to the Ministry of Health, after a case is confirmed, the Ministry traces individuals that might have come into contact with the patient as a way of containing the pandemic.
The country has so far conducted tests of over 8000 samples.
However, the number of people tested is always less than samples. This is so because an individual can be tested at least three times or more before confirming his or her state vis-a-vis COVID-19.
Unfortunately, according to the ministry of health, some individuals fail to report their previous contacts once they are found COVID-19 positive and others don't report to health authorities when they get COVID-19 symptoms.
According to Minister Busingye, this is an offence punishable by the law.
He said: "If you intentionally refuse to tell health authorities your previous contacts when you are tested positive or refuse to get yourself tested when you know that you have COVID-19 symptoms and that you recently traveled in countries with this pandemic, the law will hold you accountable for jeopardizing public safety among others."
So far we have three people suspected of these cases, he added.
The Ministry of Health recently announced that every individual who had a travel history to Europe, Asia and America at the beginning of March this year should go for the COVID-19 test.
Provisions of the law
The Spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Marie Machelle Umuhoza told The New Times that the country has several laws that can hold accountable every individual who commits such an offence.
She said: "There are several laws that can determine the kind of punishment given to such an individual. For us (RIB) we use the Penal Law, and Articles 117, 230 and 231 can be employed in this scenario depending on how an individual committed the offence."
Article 117 stipulates that any person who wilfully transmits to another person an illness likely to cause disability commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he or she is liable to imprisonment for a term of at least two years and not more than three years and a fine of not less than Rwf 300,000 and not more than Rwf 500,000.
In case the illness transmitted is incurable, the penalty is imprisonment of at least 20 years and not more than 25 years and a fine of more than Rwf 500,000 and not more than Rwf 1,000,000.
In addition to this, Article 231 stipulates that any person who, by any act of violence, opposes the implementation of work commissioned or authorised by a competent authority, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he or she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than 6 months and not more than one year and a fine of not less than Rwf 1,000,000 and not more than Rwf 2,000,000 or only one of these penalties.