Some members believe the growth of their investments and wealth is owed to people like Kabuye, who struggled to make Rwanda a destination for business

Members of the business community yesterday discarded their profit motives to join the entire country in a mass demonstration against the arrest of Rose Kabuye, director of state protocol.

A survey by the business team revealed idle businesses in Kigali city as shops, hotels, restaurants, and banks from the east to the west of the town were closed in protest against Kabuye’s arrest.

Not even public transport means were operational.  Those near Kigali marched from the heavily-protected German embassy to the offices of Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).

In monetary terms, this means that business transactions worth billions were sacrificed by the private sector members.  Some members believe the growth of their investments and wealth is owed to people like Kabuye, who struggled to make Rwanda a destination for business.

Safari Ndikumana, a Shopkeeper in Kimironko, a city suburb said: "If it was not for the people like Rose Kabuye, who fought for peace, who knows where I would be with my family.” He added that there is no essence of doing business yet the people who fought for our peace are denied peace.

Confirming to other demonstrators’ claims, a lady only identified as Josianne, said it was a right for every Rwandan to stress the injustice in their hero’s arrest.

She explained, "the sacrifice of profits for demonstration is a true manifestation of our anger to her arrest.” However business slowly picked up in the evening hours.

Rose Kabuye was arrested 12 days ago at Frankfurt airport in German, while on an official trip. She was yesterday transferred to Paris, France for trial. 

Since her arrest, there have been demonstrations countrywide by locals and institutions among others disciplines.

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