The suspects were presented on August 13, 2026, and all are public servants. Ten of them are employees of Rwanda FDA, while others are from the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) and local government institutions.

Among the Rwanda FDA employees presented are Dr. Eric Nyirimigabo, Head of the Food Department; Dr. Nyamwasa, Division Manager of Food Safety Monitoring; Christian Namahoro, food inspection specialist; Muhimpundu Alice, Food Stores & Outlets Inspection Specialist at the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority; Kangabe Benitha, food technology inspection specialist; and Uwamahoro Elizabeth, a specialist in food safety and monitoring.

The group also includes Niyigena Claudine, a specialist in the inspection of food storage facilities and markets; Ndayishima, a specialist responsible for monitoring medicines after they enter the market; and Nizeyimana Janvier, a specialist in the engineering of food-processing plants.

RIB spokesperson Dr Murangira B. Thierry said 104 people had been arrested since July 20, 2026, in connection with offences related to the production of substandard alcoholic beverages.

Of those arrested, 97 have had case files prepared and submitted to the prosecution, he said.

RIB questions licensing decisions

Dr. Murangira said preliminary investigations had found that some licences were issued without following the recommendations of Rwanda FDA’s Internal Technical Licensing Committee.

“The preliminary investigation showed that some licences were issued without being based on the decisions of the technical committee. We understand clearly that the committee’s decision is what should have been relied upon,” he said.

He cited an inspection of an alcoholic beverage factory where investigators found a machine used to extract juice that had significant amounts of rust.

Dr. Murangira said it was concerning that the factory was eventually granted a licence despite the inspection findings and despite the technical committee recommending against the licence.

According to the RIB spokesperson, on April 23, 2026, the Director General of Rwanda FDA issued a Food Business Operations (FBO) licence to the operator after three requirements had been met.

However, on May 19, the technical committee reviewed the inspectors’ report and recommended that the factory should not be granted the licence.

Dr. Murangira said the committee therefore reviewed a report concerning a licence that had already been issued.

RSB officials also arrested

Some of the suspects presented by RIB are officials from the Rwanda Standards Board who are responsible for issuing different certification documents.

They include Mporanzi Samuel, National Certification Division Manager; Kanyange Celine, Head of the Product Certification Division; and Kabanda Eric, Head of the Systems Certification Division.

Three other RSB employees are being investigated over the issuance of S-Mark certification, which indicates that a product meets the required quality standards.

RIB said the officials allegedly issued S-Mark certificates to more than 18 companies whose products did not meet requirements set by Rwanda FDA.

Dr. Murangira explained that, under normal procedures, a business or manufacturer applies for an S-Mark from RSB, after which the product is assessed to establish whether it meets Rwanda FDA requirements before certification is issued.

“We found a certain alcoholic beverage with an S-Mark, but when we checked its Rwanda FDA documentation, we found that it had none. This created a major gap and became one of the factors behind the proliferation of substandard products on the market,” he said.

Dr. Murangira said the officials arrested from quality-control institutions are suspected of abusing their authority for personal gain and failing to perform their duties for personal interests.

He said quality-control officials have the authority to seize or stop products that do not meet the required standards but allegedly failed to do so.

“The factories that were closed were operating and making money despite not having the required documents. This means that those responsible for issuing the documents turned a blind eye and deliberately ignored the violations, allowing people who should not have benefited to make profits,” he said.

The arrests come after the closure of more than 150 factories in Rwanda over the production of substandard alcoholic beverages.

Five local officials arrested

RIB also arrested five Executive Secretaries of cells and sectors who are suspected of being accomplices to an offence involving providing a person with an item capable of causing death or seriously damaging their health.

Dr Murangira said the local officials allegedly worked with owners of alcoholic beverage factories by warning them about planned enforcement operations or allowing factories that had been closed to resume operations without following legal procedures.

“There were times when we went out looking for places where those beverages were being produced. Because we work with local authorities, we would find that the operators had been warned,” he said.

He added that some of the officials were arrested after closed factories were allowed to resume production in recent days.

According to RIB, some local officials allegedly told factory owners that the closures were temporary and would soon be lifted.

Dr. Murangira, however, said authorities were now also pursuing officials who allegedly enabled the factories to operate without the required licences.

The investigation is part of a wider crackdown on substandard alcoholic beverages in Rwanda, which has so far resulted in the closure of more than 150 factories and the arrest of more than 100 people suspected of involvement in related offences.