The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court on Tuesday sentenced six young women and a man to 25 years in prison each after they were found guilty of attempted murder. The accused include Zaina Nkamiro and her younger sister Hadidja Umutoni, their male house help Kamanzi Cyiza, as well as Gisele Umulisa, Cony Umuhoza, Rosine Umuhoza and Zainabu Uwimana. They were charged over plotting to murder Sandrine Mukamana, on February 16, during a visit to Nkamiro’s. And, contrary to big turn-ups during past hearings, only a few people, including relatives of Zaina Nkamiro, were allowed to attend the court verdict to avoid the spread of coronavirus outbreak, with seven cases reported in Rwanda so far. The accused were also fined 4.7 million as damages. The court also ruled that six mobile phones of the accused be auctioned and that the auction fees will go to Rwanda Revenue Authority. The ruling did not indicate why the money will be given to Rwanda Revenue Authority. During a past hearing, all the suspects rejected the charge of attempted murder against Mukamana but admitted and sought clemency over the offence of physical assault and forced head shaving. Some claimed they were drunk when the incident occurred. Zaina Nkamiro said she was friends with Mukamana, but something happened and they stopped talking. She claimed that Mukamana “defamed” her late mother and tried to drive a wedge between her and her boyfriend. She claimed that Mukamana went around telling people that her mother had died of HIV/Aids, and not diabetes as had been communicated by her family. Later, Nkamiro said, the two tried to mend fences, which is how a ‘lunch date’ at Nkamiro’s was planned. But when the day came Mukamana “delayed to arrive and I decided to invite my friends to come and we share what had been prepared for Mukamana.” But then Mukamana finally arrived, she claimed, adding that is when she has confronted her with questions about Nkamiro’s mother and the rumours she was allegedly spreading. The ‘guest’ rejected the accusation and instead blamed the rumours on Nkamiro whom she said had confided in their mutual friends about the cause of her mother’s death. Nkamiro confessed to “hitting Mukamana on the buttocks” and claimed they did not strip her naked. The other suspects (except Umutoni and Cyiza who stay with Nkamiro) claimed they had been invited to Nkamiro’s home for lunch. The prosecution told the court that the seven suspects were all involved in a plot to murder Sandrine Mukamana and asked the court to hand each one of them a 25-year sentence and order them to pay Rwf100 million in damages. However, the lawyers of the accused argued that if they had wanted the victim dead she would not have survived. The case shocked many people and trended on social media for days.
