Rwanda National Police (RNP) has recovered some of the laptops that were recently stolen from students of Kagarama Secondary School in Kigali.

The school administration had filed a case of theft of at least seven Positivo laptops from students.

Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu, said that during investigations, they recovered nine stolen laptops, three of which matched the serial numbers provided by the school.

At least four people suspected to be behind the theft, including a student at Kagarama Secondary school, have been arrested.  

"When the school administration filed a complaint, we immediately started investigations that led us to the student who was stealing laptops from his classmates and selling them to the other three men operating in ‘Kazinikazi’ in the city center where we recovered all the nine laptops,” said Supt. Hitayezu.

He said the suspected student was selling each laptop at Rwf10, 000. Parents paid Rwf325, 000 for each Postivo BGH laptop.

"Investigations are still underway to establish if the other computers belong to the students or find their rightful owners,” Supt. Hitayezu said.

Innocent Bigiyobenda, the Dean of Studies at Kagarama Secondary School, who received the laptops on behalf of the students, said: "Seven students reported that their laptops had been stolen; we immediately notified the police and so far three of them have been recovered, and hopefully those still missing will be recovered too.”

"We thank the police for the efforts put up to recover these computers and pledge to enhance our verification mechanisms to ensure no other laptops are stolen from students,” he said.

 This is not the first time police have recovered stolen electronics. Last week, Police in Muhanga District also recovered nine one-laptop-per child stolen from Bwirika Primary School on Monday.

Previously, police operations conducted in parts of Kigali also recovered an assortment of electronics which are stored at Kigali Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Remera, where rightful owners can collect them.

"We appeal to the public to always mark their items and keep receipts with serial numbers so that when recovered, they can be easily identified by the owners,” said Supt. Hitayezu.

Theft without violence is punishable with an imprisonment of up to two years.