Nzayisenga Emmanuel v. Ubushinjacyaha
The appeal was unfounded because the 15-year imprisonment term and 5,000,000 Frw fine imposed by the High Court were the lowest possible penalties for the offence of selling cannabis, so they could not be reduced further; and the fine could not be removed since the law requires both imprisonment and a fine for that...
Source-derived case information.
- Parties
- Appellant: Nzayisenga Emmanuel; Respondent: Ubushinjacyaha
- Jurisdiction
- Rwanda
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appeal
- Outcome
- appeal dismissed
- Legal Topics
- Drug Trafficking, Sentencing, Mitigating Circumstances, Fine, Appeal Against Sentence
- Source Language
- rw
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Nzayisenga Emmanuel
Appellant
Ubushinjacyaha
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Appeal
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the appellate court could reduce the sentence below the statutory minimum for selling cannabis based on mitigating circumstances.
- 2 Whether the fine could be removed because the appellant is poor.
Ratio Decidendi
The appeal was unfounded because the 15-year imprisonment term and 5,000,000 Frw fine imposed by the High Court were the lowest possible penalties for the offence of selling cannabis, so they could not be reduced further; and the fine could not be removed since the law requires both imprisonment and a fine for that offence.
Court Disposition
appeal dismissed
Orders
- The appeal by Nzayisenga Emmanuel was found without merit.
- The judgment in case RPA 00041/2022/HC/KIG of 19/06/2025 was confirmed in all its provisions.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
4 paragraphs
NZAYISENGA v. UBUSHINJACYAHA [Rwanda URUKIKO RW’UBUJURIRE – RPAA 00667/2025/CA (Tugireyezu, P.J.,) 17 Gashyantare 2026] Amategeko agenga ibyaha n’ibihano – Icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi – Gusaba kongera kugabanyirizwa ibihano – Ku bahamijwe icyaha cyo gucuruza urumogi, bahanishijwe n’Urukiko Rukuru igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya Miliyoni eshanu (5.000.000Frw) hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha, bakajurira basaba kongera kugabanyirizwa igihano, badashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha ku buryo kijya munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka 15; kandi ko n’ihazabu iteganyijwe idashobora kugabanywa ngo ibe yajya munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha. Incamake y’ikibazo: Nzayisenga Emmanuel yakurikiranweho kuba yarakoze icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi, maze aregwa mu Rukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Gicumbi. Uru Rukiko rwamuhamije icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi ahanishwa igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu ya 20.00000Frw, ajurira mu Rukiko Rukuru, narwo rumuhamya icyaha, rumuhanisha igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya miriyoni eshanu (5.000.000 Frw). Nzayisenga Emmanuel yajuririye Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, asaba kongera kugabanyiriza uwajuriye igihano avuga ko urukiko rubanza rutamugabanyirije bihagije, maze agahabwa igihano kiri munsi y’icyo yahanishijwe n’ihazabu ingana na 5.000.000Frw ikavanwaho kuko bigaragara ko kitazashyirwa mu bikorwa bitewe n’uko ari umukene. Ubushinjacyaha busubiza ko igihano yahawe aricyo gito gishoboka hakurijwe ingingo ya 2 y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange ihindura ingingo ya 60 y’Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange akaba adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa ko kandi n’ihazabu atayikurirwaho kuko iteganywa n’amategeko. Muri uru rubanza hasuzumwe ikibazo cyo kumenya niba Urukiko rushobora kugabanyiriza Nzayisenga Emmanuel igihano rukajya munsi y’igihano gito giteganywa n’itegeko cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya miriyoni eshanu (5.000.000Frw) yahanishijwe ku cyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi yahamijwe cyangwa niba rwanamukuriraho igihano cy’ihazabu kubera ari umukene. Uru Rukiko rwasanze ubujurire bwa Nzayisenga Emmanuel nta shingiro bufite kuko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw yahawe n’Urukiko Rukuru aricyo gito gishoboka ku cyaha yahamijwe, bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa, rwasanze kandi ko ntaho rwahera rukuraho ihazabu kuko byaba binyuranyije n’amategeko mu gihe cyose Umushingamategeko yateganyije ko uwahamijwe icyaha cyo gucuruza ibiyobyabwenge, ahanishwa ibyo bihano byombi ni ukuvuga igifungo n’ihazabu.
Incamake y’icyemezo: Ku bahamijwe icyaha cyo gucuruza urumogi, bahanishijwe n’Urukiko Rukuru igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya Miliyoni eshanu (5.000.000Frw) hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha, bakajurira basaba kongera kugabanyirizwa igihano, badashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha ku buryo kijya munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka 15; kandi ko n’ihazabu iteganyijwe idashobora kugabanywa ngo ibe yajya munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha. Ubujurire nta shingiro. Amategeko yashingiweho: Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange ihindura ingingo ya 60 y’Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano, ingingo ya 2. Imanza zifashishijwe: Urubanza RPAA 00538/2024/CA rw’Ubushinjacyaha na Cyuzuzo Jean Claude, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 21/01/2025; Urubanza RPAA 00603/2025/CA rw’Ubushinjacyaha na Mfitumukiza Théogène, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 20/01/2025. Urubanza I. IMITERERE Y’URUBANZA [1] Nzayisenga Emmanuel yakurikiranweho kuba ku wa 09/04/2021, mu masaha ya saa tanu z'ijoro, yarakoze icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi, aregwa mu Rukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Gicumbi mu rubanza RP 00473/2021/TGI/GIC rwaciwe ku wa 29/10/2021. [2] Muri urwo rubanza, Nzayisenga Emmanuel yahamijwe icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi ahanishwa igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu ya 20.00000Frw, ajurira mu Rukiko Rukuru, mu rubanza RPA 00041/2022/HC/KIG rwaciwe ku wa 19/06/2025 narwo rumuhamya icyaha, rumuhanisha igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya miriyoni eshanu (5.000.000 Frw). [3] Nzayisenga Emmanuel yajuririye Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, ubujurire bwe bwandikwa kuri RPAA 00667/2025/CA, iburanisha rishyirwa ku wa 05/02/2026, Nzayisenga Emmanuel yitabye yunganiwe na Me Nyirihirwe Hilaire naho Ubushinjacyaha buhagarariwe na Uwizeye Jean Marie, Umushinjacyaha ku rwego rw’Igihugu. [4] Mu mwanzuro w’ubujurire no mu iburanisha Nzayisenga Emmanuel na Nyirihirwe Hilaire umwunganira nta kindi basabye uretse kongera kugabanyiriza uwajuriye igihano kuko urukiko rubanza rutamugabanyirije bihagije, agahabwa igihano kiri munsi y’icyo yahanishijwe n’ihazabu ingana na 5.000.000Frw ikavanwaho kuko bigaragara ko kitazashyirwa mu bikorwa bitewe n’uko
Nzayisenga Emmanuel ari umukene, nta mutungo yabona wavamo ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw, bityo rukaba rutazashobora kurangizwa. Ubushinjacyaha busubiza ko igihano yahawe aricyo gito gishoboka hakurijwe ingingo ya 2 y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange ihindura ingingo ya 60 y’Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange akaba adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa ko kandi n’ihazabu atayikurirwaho kuko iteganywa n’amategeko. [5] Hakurikije ibisabwa na buri ruhande, hakwiye gusuzumwa niba Urukiko rushobora kugabanyiriza Nzayisenga Emmanuel igihano rukajya munsi y’igihano gito giteganywa n’itegeko cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya miriyoni eshanu (5.000.000Frw) yahanishijwe ku cyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi yahamijwe cyangwa niba rwanamukuriraho igihano cy’ihazabu kubera ari umukene. UKO URUKIKO RUBIBONA [6] Ikibazo cyo kugabanya igihano kubera impamvu nyoroshyacyaha mu gihe igihano cyatanzwe aricyo gito gishoboka, cyatanzweho umurongo mu rubanza RPAA 00538/2024/CA haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Cyuzuzo Jean Claude, rwaciwe ku wa 21/01/2025. Mu gika cya 12 cy’urwo rubanza, Urukiko rw’Ubujurire rwemeje ko, ku bahamijwe icyaha cyo gucuruza urumogi, bahanishijwe n’Urukiko Rukuru igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya Miliyoni eshanu (5.000.000Frw) hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha, bakajurira basaba kongera kugabanyirizwa igihano, badashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha ku buryo kijya munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka 15; kandi ko n’ihazabu iteganyijwe idashobora kugabanywa ngo ibe yajya munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha. Haciwe n’izindi manza nyinshi cyane muri uwo mujyo, uruheruka akaba ari urubanza RPAA 00603/2025/CA rwaciwe ku wa 20/01/2025 haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Mfitumukiza Théogène.11 Kubera izo mpamvu, uru Rukiko rurasanga ubujurire bwa Nzayisenga Emmanuel nta shingiro bufite kuko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw yahawe n’Urukiko Rukuru aricyo gito gishoboka ku cyaha yahamijwe, bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa. [7] Urukiko rw’Ubujurire rurasanga kandi ibyo Nzayisenga Emmanuel asaba ko yakurirwaho ihazabu nta shingiro bifite kubera ko icyaha yahamijwe gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo n’ihazabu byombi icyarimwe nk’uko byatanzweho umurongo mu rubanza RPAA 01074/2024/CA. Muri urwo rubanza, Urukiko rw’Ubujurire rwemeje ko rudashobora gusonera Uwineza Christine ihazabu nk’uko abisaba, ko ntaho rwahera rukuraho ihazabu kuko byaba binyuranyije n’amategeko mu gihe cyose Umushingamategeko yateganyije ko uwahamijwe icyaha cyo gucuruza ibiyobyabwenge, ahanishwa ibyo bihano byombi ni ukuvuga igifungo n’ihazabu.2 II. ICYEMEZO CY’URUKIKO [8] Rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Nzayisenga Emmanuel nta shingiro bufite; 1 Reba igika cyarwo cya 16 2 Igika
[9] Rwemeje ko imikirize y’urubanza RPA 00041/2022/HC/KIG, rwaciwe n’Urukiko Rukuru, ku wa 19/06/2025, idahindutse mu ngingo zarwo zose; [10] Rwemeje ko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ya miriyoni eshanu (5.000.000 Frw) Nzayisenga Emmanuel yahanishijwe mbere kigumyeho.