Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has disclosed that a Rwandan man who was reported missing in February 2021 crossed into Uganda. In an interview with a local publication, Thierry Murangira, the Spokesperson of the RIB, said that Innocent Bahati, a poet, was not in Rwanda. “Available evidence so far indicates that Bahati crossed over to Uganda,” Murangira said. He added: “On several occasions [Bahati] secretly crossed over to that country through ungazetted border crossing points, where he would meet members of Uganda security organs and anti-Rwanda elements operating in Uganda.” The RIB spokesperson added that Bahati had been receiving financial support to coordinate clandestine activities with “anti-Rwanda” elements mainly based in Uganda. A year after Bahati was reported missing, some foreign news outlets reported about a petition by poets and writers seeking the President’s intervention in finding the whereabouts of the missing person. According to the petition, Bahati’s disappearance is linked to his criticism of the Rwandan government, an argument Murangira dismissed. “I don’t see how criticizing the government would be a problem. Many people in Rwanda publish content that criticizes the government on various platforms. It is their constitutional right to express their opinions,” Murangira said to the local publication. The Spokesperson pointed out that investigations into the exact location of the man are still on going and called on the public to share any leads. “We cannot confirm whether Bahati is still in Uganda, or he left to another country, but he is certainly not in Rwanda,” he added. RIB called upon anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. Bahati was first reported missing on February 9, 2021, when his friend lodged a missing-persons report at a RIB station in Nyanza district, Southern province.
