The High Court has reduced the sentence handed to Robert Nyamvumba, the former Division Manager in charge of energy in the Ministry of Infrastructure (Mininfra) from six to two years and half after pleading guilty and apologizing for soliciting bribe.

Nyamvumba is accused of soliciting a bribe worth Rwf7.2 billion from Javier Elizalde, a Spanish investor who had submitted and won a tender to set up street lighting in Rwanda. The tender was won in in 2019 and priced at Rwf72 billion to light up streets on 955.8 Km but later on reduced to Rwf48.4billion after the budget revision.

After the tender process was finally approved and submitted for funding to the Ministry of Finance, the Prosecution revealed, Nyamvumba contacted Elizalde (who was not in Rwanda) in January 2020 asking for an urgent meeting over the tender progress.

The duo finally managed to meet in one of the hotels in Kigali in the same month, where Elizalde in his testimony stated that Nyamvumba asked for 10% commission to have the tender processed faster.

Elizalde is said to have been deceived over the request and subsequently informed the Rwanda Investigation Bureau for further investigation.

Prosecution said that investigators collected evidence from testimonies of some of the ministry’s officials who confirmed the alleged intent to solicit a bribe in the name of the infrastructure’s ministry.

During trial proceedings in 2020, Nyamvumba denied involvement in the alleged charges citing inconsistences in prosecution evidence.

On 29th September 2020, the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court found him guilty of accused crimes, handed him six-year jail term and slapped him with Rwf21 billion fine.
Towards the beginning of January, Nyambumba filed an appeal where he changed his plea to guilty, confessed for his crimes and requested leniency noting that he doesn’t have means to pay the fine slapped on him.

He also asked forgiveness to President of the Republic and Rwandans in general.
Nyamvumba admitted to have acted as a link between a businessman identified as Damascène Niyomugabo who had accepted a commission of 10% (Rwf7 billion) once he successfully helps him to work with Elizalde.

As the court read the ruling on 7th February 2022, the sentence was reduced by more than a half while the fine was reduced to Rwf50 million.
https://en.igihe.com/justice/article/robert-nyamvumba-s-sentence-reduced