Statistics from Rwanda National Police (RNP) show that six people succumbed to fatal road accidents between Christmas and Sunday, December 27. Four of these accidents happened in the evening of Christmas, while the other two took place on Saturday and Sunday. One of them occurred in Rwamagana District where a speeding vehicle hit a pedestrian who was crossing the road, in the afternoon of December 25. According to Commissioner of Police John Bosco Kabera, all recorded fatalities resulted from violating traffic rules, which shows the essence of remaining vigilant while on the road. “We urge everyone to respect traffic rules to prevent unnecessary loss of lives,” he told The New Times on Monday, December 28. Citizens have also been urged to respect the curfew directive in place and plan appropriately to avoid last-minute rushing which most of the times give room to accidents due to over speeding. Concerning the general security over the weekend, Kabera said that “the situation was calm”. He, however, stressed the need for unwavering adherence to Covid-19 preventive measures, especially during the ongoing festive season. “Due to the pandemic…there is no way we can celebrate the festive season as we used to before the outbreak of Covid-19,” he said. “The public should be aware that violating preventive measures in place fuels the spread of this virus that continues to kill many people.” Kabera also underscored that though the Police will do its duty of ensuring that the public abides with issued guidelines, “people should also know that they have an individual role to play in this regard, even where the Police is not watching.” So far, Rwanda has confirmed 7,970 Covid-19 cases, of whom 6,289 have already recovered. The country’s Covid-19 death toll stands at 74, and 11 of these fatalities were recorded last week only.
