Police have arrested 94 people who were caught praying in residential houses in two cells of Nkotsi Sector in Musanze District.

The people had violated guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including social distancing and mask-wearing, according to Rwanda National Police (RNP).

They had gathered in two residential houses in Karambi and Bikara cells of Nkotsi Sector. According to Chief Superintendent of Police (CIP) Alex Rugigana, the police spokesperson in the Northern Province, the information was provided by local residents.

"At about 10am on Sunday, Police found 89 people in the house of one Uwitije Alphonsine and five others in the house of Uwamungu Jean Claude, praying. They had violated all the Covid-19 prevention guidelines," said Rugigana.

He added that both Uwitije and Uwamungu had been caught in similar offences in the past.

"Of the 89 people found congested in the house of Uwitije, 49 of them had no face masks, but even those that had them were not wearing them. They were congested in a small room, no social distancing and they did not wash their hands," Rugigana said.

The violators had come from various sectors of Musanze District and included young children.

All the 94 people were taken to the Ubworoherane Stadium in Musanze for sensitisation about prevention guidelines.

Between January 25 and 30 Musanze District recorded at least 16 cases of the coronavirus.

"It's absurd that in light of such a situation, there are people who can still think of holding gatherings where one infected person can easily spread the virus to everyone," said Rugigana.

Rwanda is grappling with the second wave of the Covid-19 that has seen Kigali City put under lockdown and movements restricted between districts in the four provinces.

Rugigana urged the public to adhere to the preventive measures put in place to control the spread of coronavirus and commended those who report such violations.