UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HABIMANA N’UNDI
The Court held that the 15-year imprisonment and 5,000,000 Frw fine were already the minimum lawful sentence for the offence after mitigation, so the appeal seeking further reduction had no merit.
Source-derived case information.
- Parties
- Appellee/appellant?: Ubushinjacyaha; Appellant: Habimana Innocent; Appellant: Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix
- Jurisdiction
- Rwanda
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Second Appeal
- Outcome
- Appeal dismissed; lower-court sentence maintained.
- Legal Topics
- Drug Trafficking, Sentencing, Mitigating Circumstances, Appeal Against Sentence
- Source Language
- rw
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Ubushinjacyaha
Appellee/appellant?
Habimana Innocent
Appellant
Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix
Appellant
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Second Appeal
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the appellants could be granted a further reduction of sentence despite the sentence already being the minimum possible under the applicable law when mitigating circumstances were established.
- 2 What the minimum lawful reduction is for imprisonment and fine where the offence is punishable by life imprisonment and a fine but mitigating circumstances are proved.
Ratio Decidendi
The Court held that the 15-year imprisonment and 5,000,000 Frw fine were already the minimum lawful sentence for the offence after mitigation, so the appeal seeking further reduction had no merit.
Court Disposition
Appeal dismissed; lower-court sentence maintained.
Orders
- Appeal by Habimana Innocent dismissed as unfounded.
- Appeal by Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix dismissed as unfounded.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
3 paragraphs
UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HABIMANA N’UNDI [Rwanda URUKIKO RW’UBUJURIRE – RPAA00638/2025/CA (Kaliwabo, J. P.) 06 Gashyantare 2026] Amategeko agenga imanza nshinjabyaha – Igabanyagihano – Iyo hari impamvu nyoroshyacyaha zemejwe n’umucamanza icyaha gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu, icyo gihano gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ikaba yagabanywa ariko ntijye munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha cyakozwe. Incamake y’ikibazo: Habimana na Ndazigaruye barezwe mu Rukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Rubavu kubera icyaha bakoze cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’ urumogi. Icyo cyaha cyarabahamye, Urukiko rubahanisha igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu ya 30.000.000Frw. Iki cyemezo bakijuririye bwa mbere mu Rukiko Rukuru, urugereko rwa Musanze narwo rubahamya icyo cyaha ariko rubagabanyiriza ibihano, bahanishwa igifungo cy’ imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw. Abaregwa bombi bajuririye bwa kabiri icyo cyemezo muri uru Rukiko rw’Ubujurire basaba kongera kugabanyirizwa igihano, bagahabwa igifungo cy’imyaka irindwi n’amezi atandatu (7ans et 6mois), ngo kuko bemera icyaha bakanagisabira imbabazi. Muri uru rubanza, Ubushinjacyaha bwasubije ubujurire bw’Abaregwa buvuga ko ibihano bahawe aribyo ibihano bito biteganyijwe n’Itegeko ku cyaha bakoze cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi, bityo ko batakongera kugabanyirizwa. Incamake y’icyemezo: Iyo hari impamvu nyoroshyacyaha zemejwe n’umucamanza icyaha gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu, icyo gihano gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ikaba yagabanywa ariko ntijye munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha cyakozwe. Ubujurire nta shingiro bufite. Amategeko yashingiweho: Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 4/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/8/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, ingingo ya 2. Itegeko No y’Itegeko No 69/2019 ryo kuwa 08/11/2019 rihindura ingingo ya 263 y’Itegeko No 68/2018 ryo kuwa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, ingingo ya 11. Imanza zifashishijwe: RPAA00006/2025/CA, Ubushinjacyaha v. Nzabonimpa Vincent, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 30/1/2026. RPAA00538/2024, Ubushinjacyaha v. Cyuzuzo Jean Claude, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 21/01/2025.
Urubanza I. IMITERERE Y’URUBANZA [1] Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix bakurikiranweho kuba ku wa 02/08/2023 barakoze icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi baregerwa Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Rubavu mu rubanza RP00552/2023/TGI/RBV rwaciwe ku wa 19/09/2023. [2] Muri urwo rubanza, Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix bahamijwe icyaha cyo kugurisha ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi bahanishwa igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu ya 30.000.000, bajurira mu Rukiko Rukuru, Urugereko rwa Musanze narwo rubahamya icyaha, rubahanisha igifungo cy’ imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw. [3] Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix bajuririye Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, ubujurire bwabo bwandikwa kuri RPAA00638/2025/CA, iburanishwa rishyirwa ku wa 4/2/2026, abaregwa bitaba bunganiwe na Me Musabwa F. Frederic naho Ubushinjacyaha buhagarariwe na Rudatinya N. Gaspard. [4] Mu mwanzuro wabo w’ubujurire Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix nta kindi basabye uretse kongera kugabanyirizwa igihano, bagahabwa igifungo cy’imyaka irindwi n’amezi atandatu (7ans et 6mois) kuko bemera icyaha bakanagisabira imbabazi. Mu iburanisha ryo ku wa 04/02/2026, Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix bavuze ko nabo basanga ibihano bahawe aribyo bito ntarengwa biteganywa n’Itegeko, ko ku bindi babihariye ubushishozi bw’Urukiko. [5] Ubushinjacyaha busubiza ko igihano bahawe aricyo gito gishoboka hakurijwe ingingo ya 2 (a) y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 4/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/8/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, bakaba badashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa. UKO URUKIKO RUBIBONA [6] Ikibazo cyo kugabanya igihano kubera impamvu nyoroshyacyaha mu gihe igihano cyatanzwe aricyo gito gishoboka, cyatanzweho umurongo mu rubanza RPAA00538/2024 rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 21/01/2025 haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Cyuzuzo Jean Claude, aho rwemeje ko, iyo hari impamvu nyoroshyacyaha zemejwe n’umucamanza icyaha gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu, icyo gihano gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ikaba yagabanywa ariko ntijye munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha cyakozwe; uyu murongo ukaba ushingiye ku ngingo ya 2 y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange. Uyu murongo niwo wakomeje gukurikizwa mu manza zaciwe n’uru Rukiko, rumwe mu ziheruka akaba ari urubanza RPAA00006/2025/CA1. [7] Kubera izo mpamvu, uru Rukiko rurasanga ubujurire bwa Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix nta shingiro bufite kuko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw 1 Reba Urubanza RPAA00006/2025/CA rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire kuwa 30/1/2026 haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Nzabonimpa Vincent.
bahawe n’Urukiko Rukuru aricyo gito gishoboka ku cyaha bahamijwe, bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa. II. ICYEMEZO CY’URUKIKO [8] Rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Habimana Innocent nta shingiro bufite. [9] Rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix nta shingiro bufite. [10] Rwemeje ko imikirize y’urubanza RPA00570/2023/HC/MUS rwaciwe n’Urukiko Rukuru, Urugereko rwa Musanze kuwa 16/06/2025, idahindutse mu ngingo zarwo zose. [11] Rwemeje ko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu n’ihazabu y’amafaranga 5.000.000 Habimana Innocent na Ndazigaruye Jean de la Paix bahanishijwe kigumyeho.