Gen. Karenzi Karake’s family would like to disassociate itself from the article published by Umurabyo Tabloid, of June 14-28, 2010 Number 26 and the subsequent interview given by its editor, Agnes Nkusi (if this is indeed her real name), to the BBC Kinyarwanda programme.

We want to categorically state that no member of the family knows this individual. None met or spoke to her or any of her colleagues prior to the publication of the story.

We further wish to strongly state that no member of the family has held interviews with journalists from any media house, let alone her tabloid on any subject.

We further wish to state that no one has mandated the editor of this paper to be the spokesperson for Maj Gen Karenzi nor for the family. Agnes Nkusi and Birungi Kessia of Umurabyo should, therefore, stop masquerading as representatives of the family forthwith.

Besides the mandate that the paper and editor have given themselves, we wish to point out that the allegations made in the publication are false and ill intended. 

For example the paper and editor’s interview on BBC’s Gahuzamiryango falsely claimed that Karenzi’s wife and children are also under house arrest. All other members of the family still go about their daily business freely. There have been also no fresh charges against Maj Gen Karenzi Karake and he has not been summoned by his superiors since the house arrest, as claimed by the paper and its editor. At no time has the family sought the intervention of any organization in this matter.

The family respects and understands the administrative and legal process in the Rwandan Ministry of Defense (MOD), who are the employers of General Karenzi. The information given by the MOD/RDF is that investigations into allegations against Maj Gen Karenzi are ongoing.  We therefore, respect this position, and believe that once the investigations are over justice will be done.

The allegation by the paper and its editor that the family would prefer to see Gen Karenzi in full detention as opposed to his current situation, and to have him face immediate court action is not only to interfere with the ongoing process of investigation but extremely malicious and ill intentioned.

It leaves each one of us wondering on whose behalf the paper is working and who is impersonating the family. We wish to remind the Umurabyo tabloid, its editor and whoever is behind the story that impersonation is a crime in Rwanda.

The attempt by the paper to drag in, the recent death of our dear aunt and our ailing mother to spice its story is, to say the least, sadistic, insensitive and inhuman, and goes on to show how far some people will go to achieve their ill hatched plan.

Once again we wish to put it categorically that no member of our family has ever offered any information to Umurabyo news paper nor mandated them to be our spokespersons. We challenge them to publically disclose who their alleged family source is. 

The family is making appropriate consultations and is in the process of initiating legal proceedings against Umurabyo and its editors to seek redress for this blatant falsehood and misrepresentation. 

Ends