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Rwanda Case Law

Search judgments by proposition, citation, court, judge or legal topic, then move directly into the source-grounded case analysis.

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Criminal law RPAA 00389/2024/CA

UBUSHINJACYAHA v HATEGEKIMANA

The Court of Appeal held that a recanted confession can still be believed if the judge finds it credible. It dismissed Hategekimana Daniel’s appeal and upheld his drug-trafficking conviction and sentence.

  • Drug trafficking
  • Accomplice liability
  • Evidentiary value of confessions
  • Mitigating circumstances
  • Criminal-law
  • Drug-trafficking
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Criminal law RPAA00028/2024/CA

UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HABIMANA N’UNDI

The Court of Appeal upheld convictions for cannabis trafficking and accomplice liability, refused attempt or possession recharacterization, and affirmed the minimum sentence.

  • Drug trafficking
  • Accomplice liability
  • Sentencing
  • Appeal procedure
  • Criminal-law
  • Drug-trafficking
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Criminal law RPA 00036/2022/CA

UBUSHINJACYAHA vs MURERAKURE

The appeal was dismissed because the evidence from multiple witnesses, the victim, and documentary proof (medical and birth records) consistently established that Murerakure Jeannette knowingly allowed the sexual exploitation of a minor in her residence. The court found no merit in the appellant's arguments regarding the credibility of witnesses or the minor's age. However, considering mitigating factors such as being a first-time offender and her age, the sentence was reduced from 20 to 15 years' imprisonment.

  • Evidence in criminal cases
  • Accomplice liability
  • Sexual offences against minors
  • Sentencing and mitigation
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Criminal law RPAA 00345/2024/CA

UBUSHINJACYAHA v SHUMBUSHO

The appellate court found that the lower court had already adequately considered the mitigating factors, including admission of guilt and youth, in reducing the sentence from life imprisonment to 15 years. Therefore, no further reduction was warranted.

  • Sentencing
  • Mitigating circumstances
  • Appeals
  • Accomplice liability
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Criminal law RPAA 00296/2023/CA

UBUSHINJACYAHA v NDIZIHIWE

The Court of Appeal acquitted NDIZIHIWE Fabrice and NYIRAVURIRO Lydie of murder, finding the evidence insufficient and applying the benefit of the doubt.

  • Murder
  • Accomplice liability
  • Standard of proof
  • Benefit of the doubt
  • Damages for wrongful death
  • Criminal-appeal
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Constitutional law RLR V.4-2021

Re KABASINGA ET AL

The Rwanda Supreme Court struck down parts of Law No. 68/2018 on accomplice liability and mandatory sentencing, but upheld provisions on negotiable instruments and pending-case speech.

  • Clarity of criminal law
  • Mandatory sentencing
  • Judicial independence
  • Due process
  • Freedom of expression
  • Fair trial
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Criminal law RLR V.3-2025

PROSECUTION v KABILIMA

Court of Appeal held that Kabilima Jean Damascène failed to prove an alibi, upheld witness and documentary evidence, and convicted him of genocide and complicity.

  • Genocide
  • Accomplice liability
  • Burden of proof
  • Alibi defence
  • Testimonial evidence
  • Sentencing
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Criminal law RLR V.3-2019

PROSECUTION_v._SIBOMANA_460807_en

The Court of Appeal held that conflict and hostility alone were not conclusive evidence of murder, allowed the appeal, and acquitted Sibomana Valens.

  • Murder
  • Acquittal
  • Benefit of doubt
  • Testimonial evidence
  • Accomplice liability
  • Criminal-law
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Criminal law RLR V.4-2018

UBUSHINJACYAHA v. UZABAKIRIHO N’UNDI_kn

The Supreme Court upheld a life sentence for Ntabanganyimana Félicien for brutal murder and reduced Uzabakiriho Bernard’s role to accomplice liability, sentencing him to 10 years.

  • Murder
  • Accomplice liability
  • Mitigating circumstances
  • Sentencing
  • Accomplice-liability
  • Mitigating-circumstances
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Criminal law RLR V.2 - 2015

UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HAKIZIMANA N’ABANDI

The High Court partly allowed Mugirwanake Zawadi’s appeal, reducing and partially suspending his sentence, but dismissed the appeals of Hakizimana Pascal and Rugero Etienne.

  • Concurrent offences
  • Sentencing
  • Mitigation for minors
  • Suspended sentences
  • Embezzlement of public funds
  • Forgery
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About this LexChat collection

Rwanda decisions are organised by court, judge, legal area and indexed issue so a practitioner can move from a proposition to a citable authority with the surrounding context intact.