The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has paraded 18 people, including Prof. Emile Bienvenu, the Director General of the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA).
Prof. Emile Bienvenu was among those presented by RIB on August 13, 2026. All those presented are government employees, including 10 employees of the Rwanda FDA.
Others include employees of the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), as well as executive secretaries of cells and sectors.
The 10 Rwanda FDA employees include Dr. Nyirimigabo Eric, head of the Food Department; Dr. Nyamwasa, head of the Inspection Department; Christian Namahoro, a specialist responsible for licensing food-processing businesses; Muhimpundu Alice, a specialist in the inspection of food storage facilities and food outlets; Kangabe Benitha, a specialist in food technology and inspection; and Uwamahoro Elizabeth, a specialist in food safety and monitoring its implementation.
Also among them are Niyigena Claudine, a specialist in inspecting food storage facilities and outlets; Ndayishima, a specialist responsible for monitoring medicines for human use after they enter the market; and Nizeyimana Janvier, a specialist in the engineering of food-processing industries.
RIB spokesperson Dr. Murangira B. Thierry said that since July 20, 2026, a total of 104 people have been arrested in connection with offenses related to the production of substandard alcoholic beverages. Of these, 97 have had case files prepared and submitted to the prosecution.
He said, “The preliminary investigation established that there were licenses that he issued without relying on the decisions of the technical committee [Internal Technical Licensing Committee]. We clearly understood that the committee’s decision is what he should have based his decision on.”
He gave an example of an inspection carried out at an alcoholic beverage factory, where a juice-extracting machine was found to have a large amount of rust.
He said, “It is frightening to see that, despite this, the factory ended up being granted a license, and the decision to issue the license was not based on the recommendation of the technical committee. The investigation established that on April 23, 2026, the Director General of Rwanda FDA issued a Food Business Operations License (FBO) to a person who had fulfilled three requirements… On May 19, the committee reviewed the inspectors’ report and determined that the factory should not be granted the license. However, it should be understood that they were reviewing a license that had already been issued.”
Some RSB employees have also been arrested
Among those presented by RIB were RSB employees responsible for issuing various certificates, who are suspected of different offenses.
They include Mporanzi Samuel, head of the department responsible for issuing national quality certification; Kanyange Celine, head of the department responsible for issuing product quality certification; and Kabanda Eric, head of the department responsible for issuing system quality certification.
Also among those arrested are three RSB employees who are being investigated over the issuance of the S-Mark certification, which confirms that a product meets quality standards. They allegedly issued the certification to more than 18 companies whose products did not meet the requirements set by the Rwanda FDA.
Dr. Murangira explained that, ordinarily, for RSB to issue an S-Mark, a trader or manufacturer must first apply, after which the product is assessed to determine whether it meets Rwanda FDA requirements. Only then is the certificate issued.
He said, “We found a certain beverage that had an S-Mark, but when we checked its Rwanda FDA documentation, we found that it had none of the required documents. This created a major loophole, because it became the main cause of the chaos that allowed substandard products to reach the market.”
Dr. Murangira explained that the employees responsible for quality-control inspections who were arrested are suspected of abusing their authority for personal gain and failing to perform their duties for personal benefit. Normally, quality-control inspectors are authorized to seize or stop the sale of products that do not meet the required standards.
However, they failed to do so, and it appears that they did so for personal gain by protecting people who were engaging in illegal activities that could harm the health of many people.
He said, “All those factories that were closed were operating and making profits, generating money without having the required licenses. This means that those responsible for issuing licenses turned a blind eye and deliberately ignored the violations, thereby benefiting people who were not entitled to such benefits.”
This comes after more than 150 factories in Rwanda were closed for producing substandard alcoholic beverages.
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