This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
On May 15, 2020, Rwandan authorities took a significant step in addressing online content creators who breach lockdown rules and security guidelines. Dieudonné Niyonsenga, the owner of popular YouTube channel Ishema TV, was remanded to 30-day custody after being denied bail by the Kagarama court in Kigali.
Niyonsenga was arrested in mid-April for breaching lockdown rules and issuing his driver an unauthorized press pass. The prosecutors presented a strong case, proving that the charges against Niyonsenga are serious.
Meanwhile, another YouTube star, Theoneste Nsengimana, was charged with fraud and released on bail after the judges ruled that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to deny him bail. Nsengimana was accused of promising slum dwellers Rw20,000 ($21) to claim that they were receiving aid from abroad during lockdown.
It's worth noting that the media regulator, Rwanda Media Commission, has issued a statement saying that online bloggers and YouTubers are not journalists and are not authorized to interview the population.
