KIGALI - Panic engulfed residents of Kabuga Sector, Gasabo District, in the wee hours of Saturday morning, after discovering a dead body lying next to an abandoned car.

It later emerged that the body belonged to John Bosco Rutayisire, the finance manager of Bourbon Coffee, a popular local fast food company.

The Sunday Times has since established that Rutayisire was killed by assailants who were yet to be identified by press time, according to the Rwanda National Police.
The 36-year-old, who resided in Kanombe Sector, Kicukiro District, is expected to have been killed between 1a.m and 4a.m, Friday night.

Eyewitnesses said yesterday that his body was found laid near Gako training farm in Gako Cell, Kabuga Sector.

Clementine Nyiransabimana whom The Sunday Times talked to from the crime scene, said that the victim must have been strangled. Nyiransabimana’s husband, Abraham Muhawenimana, the man who supposedly broke the news of the deceased’s whereabouts, after finding the body near his home.

"It was around 3a.m towards 4a.m when I heard cars coming and I thought our boss was bringing sand for building. When my husband woke up he saw three saloon cars parked in front of our house,” Nyiransabimana said yesterday.

She went on, "When we opened the house, they drove away and met another car which seemed to be coming in their direction. The car is said to have belonged to the deceased. However, in a few minutes they drove away. We came to examine what was there and found the dead body.

What surprised us is that we did not hear any call for help which makes us suspect they could have brought him already dead,” she narrated.

Nyiransabimana added that all the three cars were black and that one carried a Ugandan number plate. 

According to John Rugambwa, the deceased’s brother, the first information about what had happened to Rutayisire was from the deceased’s friend and workmate, only identified as Steven.

It is said that Steven was waiting for transport means to go home near Kigali International Airport when he saw Rutayisire’s car pass by, and he tried calling him on his mobile by cell phone to ask for a lift.

Even though his friend did not pick Steven’s phone, it is said that Rutayisire returned his call shortly after, only to learn that the former needed a ride back home.
Apparently, they had both delayed in a prolonged meeting at work.

"They had delayed in a meeting at work. A friend (Steven) who had asked him for a ride told him to stop and wait for him at Gasaraba bus stop, and when Steven got there, he found these people wrestling with him. When Steven tried to intervene, they also attacked him but he managed to escape, as they drove away with Rutayisire,” explained the deceased’s brother.

Police Spokesman, Supt. Eric Kayiranga, told this newspaper, yesterday, that no suspects had been arrested yet, and that investigations were still going on. He added that police will be communicating any new development.

"It is so sad and terrible but we are still following the case closely,” Kayiranga said, adding that the police have not yet established the motive behind Rutayisire’s murder.
Rutayisire is survived by a wife and two children.

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