Elsie Akeza’s stepmother appears in court, denies murder charges

Prosecution on Thursday arraigned a woman suspected to have a hand in the highly-publicised death of a five year old girl who was nearly two weeks ago found drowned in a water tank. The suspect, Marie-Chantal Mukanzabarushimana, a woman in her 30s arrived in Kicukiro Primary Court at around 9am. She was clad in an orange polo shirt, black pants and a grey cardigan. Mukanzabarushimana is a stepmother to Elsie Akeza Rutiyombya - the deceased –and lived in the same home in Busanza Cell, Kanombe Sector in Kicukiro, where the deceased died from. Initially, she was expected to be arraigned together with one Dative Nirere, the family housemaid, but the latter did not show up in court and neither was she mentioned on the charge sheet read by the registrar when the case came for mention. Akeza died on January 14, and two women were arrested shortly after following a preliminary investigation that officials said linked them to her death. The suspect was accompanied in court by her lawyer. According to prosecution, they have evidence to the effect that the suspect premeditated the murder of Akeza, including basing on Nirere’s account that she sent her several times to the shops. According to Nirere’s account, the suspect wanted to get a window where she would be alone with the victim and when she got it, she drowned her in the tank. Explaining the motive, the prosecutor said that they have various accounts to the effect that Mukanzabarushimana was in conflict with her husband over his relationships with other women with whom he had children. Akeza was born out of wedlock between Agathe Niragire and Florian Rutiyomba and the latter later officially married the suspect. The prosecutor also discounted the theory that the victim could have drowned by herself, saying that the tank was high for her to climb and that at five, she was old enough to just throw herself into the tank. The prosecutor concluded by asking that the suspect is remanded for 30 days, citing among other reasons, the incriminating evidence against her and the fact that she could jump bail if released. He also added that releasing the suspect would be psychologically torturous to the victim’s family, many of whom were in the courtroom, whose wounds are still fresh. However, addressing court, Mukanzabarushimana denied having a role in Akeza’s death saying that the time she was discovered dead, she was in hospital and had an alibi to the effect. “The day Akeza passed away I had pre-arranged plan to go to the hospital and my husband was aware. While there, my maid (Nirere) called and told me that she could not find her and I told her to look everywhere because I knew I had locked the gate and so she could not have gone out,” she said. She added that a few minutes later, Nirere called her to say that she had discovered the deceased in a water tank inside the house. According to her, by the time she left home to go to hospital, Akeza was in her room and told the maid to give her some cookies. Asked by the judge who she thought might have put Akeza in the tank, the suspect said she didn’t know but added that Akeza was a stubborn child. Mukanzabarushimana requested to be released on bail saying that she is sick and has a baby among other reasons. Addressing court, her lawyer said that his client should be released on bail, explaining that the facts surrounding Akeza’s death were shrouded in controversy while some testimonies were inconsistent. The lawyer said that such creates doubt in the case presented by prosecution and that in the interest of justice, his client should be released on bail as investigations continue. The court will issue the bail ruling next week on February 2.

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Elsie Akeza’s stepmother appears in court, denies murder charges