Kirehe – Emmanuel Tuyishime, a middle aged man suspected to be a child trafficker is said to have fled to Tanzania, after he learnt that police was trailing him. According to Kirehe district authorities, Tuyishime held two sisters in discreet place, as he finalised the plan to take them for sale through Tanzania.The two girls aged 13 and 11 are primary school pupils from Kivumu sector in Rutsiro district, had spent three months away from their parents.Didas Habineza, in charge of social affairs in Kirehe district, told the media that Tuyishime tricked the children before getting them away from their home.He said that Kirehe was in contact with Rutsiro district authorities to take back the children.“He told the two sisters who lived with a grandmother that he would get them a better place to live. With all the naivety the children followed him to unknown destination”.“The suspect escaped when he learnt of an anti-human trafficking campaign going on. He had rented a house where he kept the children before he could transport them to Tanzania,’ he said.A resident in Kirehe who wanted his names to remain anonymous, told The New Times that drama unfolded, when the owner of the house demanded rent payment from the children.“The man paid rent for three months which had elapsed and the landlord wanted his money from the children which drew their attention to the neighbours.” Denise Uwera, another district official lamented the incident, saying all stakeholders should combat it.She said the suspect was one of those irresponsible adults guided by greed, adding that his days were numbered.“We struggle to take every child to school; it is disheartening to see others taking them out of school for serfdom in the wilderness. We can’t tolerate it,” she said. The Police are still searching for the suspect. The 2012 Trafficking in Persons report released in June by the US State Department, said Rwandan women and children are recruited and transported to countries like Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, China and in Europe, where they are subjected to forced agricultural and industrial labour, domestic servitude, and prostitution.
