Kibwetere followers arrested in Rwanda

New Vision/March 20, 2002

Rwanda -- Police have unearthed the existence in their country of Joseph Kibwetere's followers. Kigali Police are holding their leaders, reports Emmy Allio.

Kibwetere was leader of the Movement for Restoration of the Ten Commandments, the cult in Kanungu district, that led to the death of over 800 of its followers in Uganda on March 17, 2000.

A Rwandan bi-weekly newspaper listed those arrested as Fr. Laurent Kalibushi, Juliene Nyirabega, Thaddee Ntakiburimvano and Genevieve Nyiramafaranga.

They were said to have been arrested with over fifteen 20-litre jerrycans containing petrol.

The New Times quoted Rwandan Police spokesman Tony Kulamba as saying the cult in Kigali had direct links with Kibwetere's cult. Many Banyarwanda perished in the Kanungu inferno.

"We investigated the case and found that this sect has direct links to the Ugandan one of Kibwetere," Kulamba was quoted as saying.

The paper said the cult operated in the Kigali suburbs of Kiyovu and Remera and in Nyagatare, Gisenyi and Gitarama regions.