Four men, all in their early twenties, were recently rescued from the grasp of human trafficking, when Rwanda National Police (RNP) foiled a plan by two suspects who intended to traffic and sell them to another human trafficker in Kenya.

Upon getting information from concerned citizens, Police investigated and found out that two suspects, Silver Nzeyimana, 27, and Marcel Usabimana, 26, were in the habit of luring young people to Kenya.

These investigations led Police to Nyabugogo International Bus Terminal on May 7, where the two suspects were arrested in a Kenya-bound bus where the victims were also rescued.

Upon their arrest, the suspects disclosed that they were being paid by a Rwandan who lives in Kenya, to get him young people.

Police Spokesperson for the Central Region, Superintendent Modeste Mbabazi, said the two suspects lured the four victims with promises of high paying jobs in Kenya – and that they had warned the victims againt informing anyone about the plan.

"Earlier investigations had discovered that the two suspects were involved in this act and when police moved to arrest them, they were found with the four victims as they were about to take them to Kenya. Further investigations also revealed that the rescued boys are actually not the only ones. The suspects were in the scheme of trafficking more young Rwandans for money,” Supt. Mbabazi said.

"Some of the victims are from Ngororero and Kamonyi Districts.”

One of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that he was approached by one of the suspects who told him that there was someone in Kenya offering good jobs and business deals to young people’ and told him that they would even cater for their transport and other costs.

"Like I had been warned, I did not tell my parents where I was going. I was just shocked when Police rescued us and informed us that we were going to be sold into inhuman activities rather than make good money as promised,” he said.

Superintendent Mbabazi called upon the youth to be alert against strangers, and sometimes even relatives and family friends, who may want, for monetary reasons, to lure them into human trafficking for their personal gains.

Human trafficking victims usually end up in despicable acts such as prostitution, sex slavery, hard labor, or even human organ removal.

Since 2009, RNP has handled over 36 cases of human trafficking involving 153 victims.