Rwanda National Police have arrested two journalists for breaking a night-time curfew imposed to fight the spread of coronavirus, the authorities said Friday.The two transgressors who were arrested remained in custody at Kicukiro Police station in Kigali city, the Police said.
The two freelance Rwandan journalists Samuel Baker Byansi and Janvier Nshimyumukiza tried to demand special treatment and attention by rudely telling off officers that they are a journalist and by stopping you they don’t know what they are doing, according to the Police.
The arrest comes a few months after six other Rwanda Journalists have been arrested in April this year over the last two weeks for violating measures put in place by the government to stop the spread of New Coronavirus and misusing passes and press .
The then arrested journalists included some who work for leading media houses in the country and others who do their trade online especially on Youtube.
Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) have cautioned journalists against engaging in acts that violate the law or measures put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The media self-regulatory body also cautioned journalists against engaging in illegal activities or covering them, especially activities that convene many people together such as relief distribution drives that are not sanctioned by local authorities.
As of Thursday evening, the number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in Rwanda have reached 850 with the addition of 20 new cases.
According to the latest update from health officials, the total number of recoveries is 385 while two patients have passed away.
Earlier Thursday, Rwandan Ministry of Local Government has placed parts of the City of Kigali back into lockdown to contain a possible second outbreak of the New Coronavirus in the city
The Ministry said all workers will be required to work from home, including government employees while movement from any of the administrative entities to other parts of the city is prohibited, except for those going for medical treatment or other emergencies.
