Forty-two people were arrested on Thursday in different bars, shops, and homes in the City of Kigali where they were found drinking and holding prohibited gatherings.

Those arrested include owners of bars and shops as well as their customers who were found inside drinking alcohol; footballers who were holding illegal gathering and drinking in Kimihurura; and a group of five men, who were found in a car with a crate of beer and drunk.

Also detained is a medical doctor, who was arrested alongside six others after they were found drinking at a bar in Busanza, Kanombe Sector in Kicukiro District.

Some of the arrested shop owners had rooms inside where they would hide their customers before serving them alcohol.

One of the five men who were found in the same car drinking said that they had visited a friend in Niboye, in Kicukiro District.

"We went to visit a friend in Niboye and took crates of beer. We were arrested on our way back. We can't deny that we were drunk and above all, we had violated the stay home directives; we had exceeded the maximum number of only two people supposed to be in the same car. We can only plead to be forgiven," said the suspect.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera observed that people who breach the directives to engage in such prohibited acts, put their lives and those of others at risk and hamper national efforts against Coronavirus.

"Bars were closed for a reason. Shops selling foodstuffs have certain guidelines to follow including not turning them into bars. These guidelines have been communicated over and over but it seems there are some people, who just don't want to listen and violate them intentionally," said Kabera.

"These people, who violate the directives meet in groups in bars, shops, and homes. In an unfortunate moment when one of them is infected with coronavirus, everyone there will be infected and each of them will infect others in their families and wherever they go."

The directives which partly prohibits unnecessary movements and emphasising staying at home as well as police operations to enforce the directives, are meant to prevent the spread and chain of new infections."

Kabera thanked members of the public who continue to facilitate the enforcement with credible information on violators and urged them to maintain the community policing spirit to jointly fight and prevent the spread of the pandemic.