After a week or so of a social media storm emanating from a ‘YouTube’ war started by one Innocent Nyarwaya, commonly known as ‘Yago’, a YouTuber-turned-singer, who has been making allegations targeting fellow YouTubers and musicians, charges are likely to follow over utterances that could tantamount to crimes. Yago, who runs Yago TV show, but turned into a musician in 2022, claims to have fled the country last week, running away from a ‘clique’ of fellow YouTubers and some members of the showbiz industry, who he alleges are after his life. Through a series of videos broadcast on his channel, Nyarwaya has made all kinds of allegations of things fellow YouTubers did to sabotage him as a YouTube host and as a musician since he broke onto the music scene with his single ‘Suwejo’ in November 2022. Some of those he targeted in several of his videos have come out to speak while others are yet to respond. Upon arriving in Uganda, where he is alleged to have stopped first, Nyarwaya through his channel mentioned several names of individuals that have tried to sabotage him over the years. Among them are fellow YouTubers Sabin Murungi of Isimbi TV, Irene Murindahabi, Phil Peter, DJ Brianne and Cyprien Uzabakiriho, known as ‘Djihad’, as well as musicians such as Bruce Melodie, Ariel Wayz and many others who he claims to have helped in their careers but they did everything to sabotage him. It is a saga that has drawn many names in. Some said it is ‘Agatwiko’, a term normally used in the showbiz industry to refer to people creating controversies or drama to garner views or followership. However, it appears now the drama has caught the attention of Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB), with the spokesperson, Dr. Thierry B. Murangira revealing that before fleeing the country, Nyarwaya was being investigated for alleged serious crimes. In what could be the unravelling of Rwanda’s fast-growing YouTube industry, the investigative body is now looking into the crimes that could have been committed through the utterances made on the different channels. The issue has been a concerning one for the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), the media self-regulatory body, which also sees YouTube as a platform on which media ethics are on the line. The YouTube issue has been of keen interest for RIB, which earlier this year had identified at least 25 YouTube channels which it said were found to be misleading and misinforming Rwandans while at the same spreading ‘anti-values’ such as sexual immorality. It appears things have taken a new dimension with RIB now looking into serious crimes, including sowing divisions and ethnic divisions, with Murangira revealing that the red line has been crossed. He revealed that prior to running away, Nyarwaya was being questioned over alleged hate speech and discrimination based on ethnicity. In several of his videos, Nyarwaya seems to go for persons of his purported nemeses, claiming that their parents committed genocide. Two of those he accused have responded, with journalist Mulindahabi through a statement stating that his deceased father was not accused or charged for committing genocide and one Djihad also denied the allegations. Amidst it all, Sabin Murungi of Isimbi TV, one of the leading YouTube channels in Rwanda, announced that he is taking a break from the platform due to an illness but did not respond to the accusations levelled against him. It is not yet clear whether the RIB investigations are particularly hinged on those utterances but Murangira, in an interview with Primo TV, confirmed that Nyarwaya was being interrogated over alleged acts of discrimination and sowing divisions in society. Responding to the YouTube saga, Murangira said that it has gone to a point where they had created cliques in society, with some sort of fan groups breaking out, with some people siding with one group or individuals. Among others, he cited ‘Big Energy’, which is a group of people that support Nyarwaya, a tagline he often uses, being among the groups circulating the same videos where those utterances that tantamount to crimes were made. “They have been able to create cliques and groups of supporters which many of you know. What started as showbiz has become something else. We know showbiz as an industry that entertains society, not one that divides it,” Murangira said, in reference to the social media storm that has been triggered by the YouTube ‘beef’. The RIB Spokesperson said that, apart from the showbiz industry being soiled by the rivalries, the impasse among YouTubers has led to the emergence of a language or words that point towards dividing Rwandans along ethnic lines. He said the fire is fanned by social media, where users carry and distribute videos and audios from the rival shows, warning that all those using their platforms to share the said videos could be culpable of committing crimes. The remark triggered a flurry of deletions, with many who had shared particularly Yago’s videos, quickly adhering and deleting them. Murangira said that rather than taking to YouTube channels and social media platforms to launch attacks, people who feel they have grievances with others have the right to file a complaint and investigations would be made to ascertain the truth. As the saga unfolded, several indecent videos were released, with the intention of some individuals exposing others, acts which Murangira says lead to committing other crimes such as indecent conduct, distributing pornographic materials and others which are all punishable under the law. He revealed that Yago himself had filed cases which were investigated while several other YouTubers, including Djihad and others, have been previously summoned and advised against the nature of the content they were releasing into public. Murangira says the insults and counter accusations continued even after Nyarwaya had been summoned and cautioned about his comments and that, while the investigative body was still going on about its work, news of his fleeing surfaced on August 31. He indicated that more evidence pointing towards possible crimes was still being collected. By running away, Murangira says he knew he had committed possible crimes, advising him to stop the road he had taken before it was too late. He said several YouTubers had been cautioned about their content or even sorting out their issues, many of which are social in nature and should not amount to dragging people into ethnic divisions. Murangira says that whether they are in the country or not, all YouTubers or social media users who distribute content that sow divisions are known and wherever they are, the long arm of the law can reach them and they will have their day in court. Some arrests have been made previously over social media posts. He said some of the individuals use their platforms to torment and taunt others, and this something he says applies to many, who have been caught in conflict or two with others. A time bomb Francine Havugimana, a former commissioner in RPF Inkotanyi, who was among people who previously tried to bring together the conflicting YouTubers, says that it was a matter of time before the bickering could spill out into society, creating a negative impact. “It is a very pertinent issue that we talked to them about and advised them. When we talked to them, we found that in reality no one has a credible accusation against the other,” “This one called me this or that, someone created a false story about me and circulated it. These are issues which, if can’t be solved amicably, can be handled by our institutions. It shouldn’t have come to this point of making discriminatory or divisive statements,” Havugimana says. She says that they were advised to use their platforms positively as businesses to economically benefit from them -some heeded the advice and others didn’t. Havugimana says they were reminded that they have followers and audiences which look up to them. Havugimana further says that dragging parents and families was not necessary while others have resorted to using their platforms to divide Rwandans, pitting them against each other, something she said should be looked into by responsible organs before it is too late. She adds that, apart from those publicly making statements, others have created cliques which operate in silence but still have an impact in society and all these should be looked into and redirect the youth at the centre of it into the right path.
