Four teenagers have been found guilty of starting the fires which gutted Byimana School of Sciences between April and June. The students, all of Senior One and Two at the Ruhango-based school, were handed between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years of jail term. They are aged between 14 and 16.Justice Bernadette Mukansanga of Muhanga Intermediate Court said she found the teenagers guilty of “willingly setting the school on fire.”Only four of the six initial suspects were convicted. While reading the verdict, Judge Mukansanga said the two others were sent to a rehabilitation centre because they were under 14. The mastermind of the arson was found guilty of hatching a plan to set the school on fire and executing it and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. A second student got the same sentence after he was found guilty of complicity since, the judge said, he accompanied the key convict to buy a match box which they used to torch the school. The other two accomplices were found guilty of concealing information which could have helped during investigations. Judge Mukansanga told the court that the delays to denounce the mastermind led to other fires. The court said one of the accomplices got a lesser sentence because he collaborated with the court and also expressed remorse. The defence team had prayed Mukansanga to give a suspended sentence to allow the teenagers continue with their studies, but the judge ruled against the wish and said her decision was reached due to the gravity of the crimes.Tears of reality After the ruling, the boys were handcuffed and led into a waiting Police van. Escorted by armed Police officers, tears rolled down their cheeks. By press time, it was not yet clear whether the students would appeal the sentence as none of their five lawyers was in court when the verdict was pronounced. Some of their parents, who were approached by The New Times, declined to comment. The six students were arrested early this month following investigations by a special team of detectives. Byimana School of Sciences suffered three fire incidents between April and June in which three dormitories and a chapel were destroyed. The damages were evaluated to over Rwf400 million.
