WESTERN PROVINCE

KARONGI — A girl arrested recently in Kibuye while trying to transport drugs to Kigali has been sentenced to a one year jail term.

Umurerwa Zainabu, aged 19 was arrested a week ago with 25 kilograms of marijuana at Rubengera taxi stage while trying to board a vehicle.

Kibuye Court presided over by Judge Emmanuel Nkubito found Umurerwa guilty of transporting drugs and ordered her to pay a fine of Frw2150 in addition to jail sentence.

Umurerwa is now in custody at the Kibuye Police Post.

"The punishment we have given Umurerwa is light because she did not intend to involve in drug selling,” said Nkubito in his ruling.

In her defence, Umurerwa said that she was transporting drugs to earn a living because she dropped out of school after she conceived.

Umurerwa explained that upon getting pregnant, she wanted assistance from the man responsible for the pregnancy but the man advised her to start delivering marijuana from Congo Nile, in Rutsiro district, to Kigali so that he would be paying her after delivery.

"He told me that that’s the only way I could get his money yet I was expecting his baby so I had to plan for it,” Umurerwa, who is seven months pregnant told court. During the hearing, prosecution said Umurerwa had no past criminal records.

"She had no criminal records before this,” said Mbarirende Nicodeme the police officer who arrested her.

The court also ordered for the burning of the drugs and the suitcases that contained the drugs to be given back to Umurerwa.

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