Kigali – The Kicukiro District Court on Thursday began the trial of imprisonment and bail for 20 people who were prosecuted for crimes related to the production, processing and distribution of substandard alcoholic beverages.

Among these is Ntihanabayo Samuel, the manager and owner of Ingufu Gin. These people have been detained for a long time while the police and quality control authorities continue their activities to prevent and increase the market of alcohol that can endanger the lives of the people.

The trial of these people takes place at a time when the Rwandan government continues to monitor the producers and distributors of low-quality carbonated drinks, after the serious consequences of these drinks have been revealed.

148 factories have been closed

As of August 2, 2026, the National Agency for the Quality of Medicines and Food, Rwanda FDA, has closed 148 factories producing substandard alcohol, as well as stopping the drinks produced by these factories.

This decision was taken after an investigation revealed that some factories were using unprocessed ethanol to make fermented drinks. This behavior has been shown to have serious consequences for the health of the drinker.

The government of Rwanda says that since January 2026, 50 people have died after drinking substandard alcohol, while another 100 have gone blind.

Also, more than 11,000 people have been affected by these drinks to the point that they have become addicted to them, which has led to the problem of low-quality alcohol being considered a serious public health problem.

RIB has taken 80 people

The spokesperson of the National Prosecutor’s Office (RIB), Dr. In the end of B. Thierry, he said that the investigation revealed different people who are suspected to be involved in this matter.

Among them are government inspection and certification officials, business owners, workers of closed factories, local authorities and others who were doing these activities illegally.

Dr. In the end, he said that all of them are connected to activities related to the use of ethanol in the production of alcoholic beverages.

“They all have something in common. They have a common interest in ethanol.”

He said that the suspects were prosecuted for crimes including providing something that can kill or endanger life, forging or using forged documents, embezzlement and rebellion against the government.

RIB also says that some of the industrial owners and their employees are suspected of using outdated equipment and illegal standards, in order to seek profit without considering the impact these activities can have on public health.

Dr. At the end he said:

“Now 80 people have been arrested across the country, 16 of them were arrested in the city of Kigali. The investigation is still ongoing.”

He added that the actions of police agencies are aimed at protecting the lives of the people and holding everyone responsible for these actions.

Some are suspected of providing illegal documents

In the inspection carried out in cooperation with the relevant authorities, RIB said that there are repair factories that operate unregistered, others that do not have quality documents, that do not operate in the designated areas for these activities and that are found to be insufficiently clean.

There are also industries that have been accused of obstructing the inspection activities of competent authorities.

In this fight against substandard alcohol, RIB has also recently identified another 18 people who have been prosecuted for crimes related to issuing licenses to producers of substandard alcoholic beverages.

Among those 18 are Prof. Emile Bienvenu, Director General of Rwanda FDA

The trial continues