NYARUGENGE - Police in Nyarugenge district are holding twelve traditional doctors who were caught offering services without permission from authorities.

According to the police, the traditional healers who use herbs to treat their patients were arrested from different parts of the city in an operation that has been going on to crackdown on illegal local practitioners.

The District Judicial Police Officer (DJPO) at Nyarugenge police station, IP Corneille Murigo, said that the suspects were arrested because they did not have licences to operate.

"Normally, for a local healer to operate, he or she must have the clearance from the cell level up to the district. The district recommends them to the Ministry of Health which grants them permission after the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research has examined the herbs they are going to use,” explained Murigo.

Speaking to The New Times, one of the arrested, Egide Kamemore, said that they had the herbs in preparation to start their work since they had been told that they would get licenses by June 2 this year.

"We had started to prepare for our work which we were supposed to commence after getting the licenses on June 2. The police found and arrested us,” said Kamemore.

However, Murigo says that the law prohibits anyone to operate without a license since the herbs they use can have side effects on people.

He added that since the law governing the body of local healers is not yet in place, the suspects will on conviction be punished under the penal code.

This particular offence is punished by Article number 329 of the penal code. And if the suspects are found guilty, they may be sentenced to imprisonment for between 2 – 5 years.

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