Speaking during a press conference on August 24, 2026, President Kagame said the drinks, popularly known as “ibyuma,” had continued to claim lives, either immediately or gradually, and that the government could not continue to stand by.
“Let us add to what is being said what is visible and what we are seeing happening. There are drinks that are completely substandard and that kill people. We can start from there and ask ourselves, ‘Is this right? Do they kill people? Have they killed people?’ Anyone looking for the answer already has it,” Kagame said.
He said the drinks had claimed a large number of lives.
“They kill people. They have killed countless people. If you follow the news, as some of you should, it is not a matter of saying two people died today and another one died tomorrow. Twenty, 30, 50 people die, and sometimes nearly 100 people can die in a single day. If you add up those who have died over a year, you can understand how many people that is,” he said.
Kagame stressed that before considering the economic losses that may result from shutting down factories or the impact on employees who lose their jobs, the first priority should be protecting the lives of Rwandans.
“Before I get to the issues of industries and workers, let us first address the question of people’s lives. Do we want industries and the people working in them to be killed by what those industries produce? Or do we want products that kill people to be taken to industries and sold as things needed by those industries?” he asked.
The President said he did not understand how anyone could focus on protecting industries and jobs while ignoring the people who were dying as a result of the products they produced.
He said that when factories repeatedly produce products that kill people, the country cannot simply stand by and watch.
“If someone produces something that kills people, how should this country be governed? Should a country simply allow people to die and watch? What kind of country would that be?” Kagame said.
President Kagame also said that officials and employees from the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) and the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) should be investigated over their possible role in allowing dangerous products onto the market.
He said he believed that some officials could have been involved in the activities of the factories that were shut down or may have been influenced by factory owners to allow the products to pass inspections, although he said it would be up to the courts to determine their responsibility.
“Some of these people, I believe, may have been involved. They may even have had interests in those industries, or the owners of those industries may have turned a blind eye through them, allowing their products to pass and go on to kill people. That is what I think, but they will answer for themselves when they are prosecuted. They will be the ones to explain it; no one else will answer for them,” he said.
Kagame said the government would continue its fight against dangerous alcoholic drinks and narcotics that have been given popular or unusual names but continue to destroy lives.
“It is not only about these alcoholic drinks. There are also the drugs we have been talking about in recent days. There are these drinks and other narcotics that people have been giving all kinds of fancy names. They are killing people, killing children, killing young people in this country, as well as adults,” he said.
“Those who hear me and those involved should be prepared. We are going to fight them. Things will be put in order as they should be, and people know what is required and are capable of doing it.”
The President said his focus was on the interests of Rwanda and Rwandans and on working with citizens to identify what benefits the country.
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) recently presented to the media factory owners, employees, and officials from Rwanda FDA who are under investigation over their alleged involvement in producing substandard alcoholic drinks and offences related to quality inspection.
While some people criticized the manner in which the suspects were presented to the media, President Kagame said any concerns surrounding the process could be addressed, but should not overshadow the more serious issue of investigating those suspected of involvement in activities that may have put people’s lives at risk.
