Police arrest woman over drugs in Kigali

The Rwanda National Police is probing a woman arrested in Kigali, yesterday, in connection with drug trafficking and money laundering.

Thursday, October 17, 2013
Namuyimbwa, alias Bad Black. Net photo

The Rwanda National Police is probing a woman arrested in Kigali, yesterday, in connection with drug trafficking and money laundering.

Police identified the suspect as Shanita Namuyimbwa, alias Bad Black, a Ugandan ‘socialite’. 

In a press statement, Police spokesperson Damas Gatare said Bad Black was arrested in the morning in Nyarutarama, an affluent suburb in Gasabo District, in the City of Kigali.

This paper understands Bad Black is also wanted by Ugandan authorities. She is alleged to have jumped bail in the neighbouring country following a conviction of defrauding a British national.

"Namuyimbwa has been living in Rwanda for two months now after arriving from Bangkok, Thailand in July 2013. She is wanted in Uganda for embezzlement of millions of dollars from her British ex-lover David Greenhalgh,” Gatare said, adding that investigations are ongoing in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force.

Jumping bail

Bad Black was last year sentenced to four years in jail. She was serving the sentence with her co-accused, Meddie Ssentongo, in Luzira Prison in Kampala when she was granted a cash bail of Shs100 million (about Rwf26million) on November 16, which she paid on December 6.

However, upon her temporary freedom, Bad Black left the country, reportedly en route to India, but it was next heard she was in Dubai.

She would later fail to honour two court summonses, forcing the Kampala City Council Court to issue a warrant for her arrest in March.

Bad Black faces extradition to Uganda, where she is likely to face more charges related to jumping court bail, as well as her standing four-year jail term.