Tainted village elections : seven convictions for fraud in Rumonge

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, August 28, 2025 – The village elections, held Monday, August 25, 2025, across Burundi, were supposed to elect irreproachable grassroots representatives. However, SOS Médias Burundi observed in several regions intimidation, beatings, and harassment attributed to local CNDD-FDD officials and the Imbonerakure (members of the ruling party’s youth league) against independent candidates or activists deemed lacking in zeal. In Rumonge, seven people have just been convicted of electoral fraud.

The First Instance Court of Rumonge, in Burunga province in southern Burundi, delivered its verdict Tuesday evening for electoral fraud committed in the Kanyenkoko neighborhood, in downtown Rumonge.

Among those convicted were four officials from polling station 5 at Rumonge IV Primary School: Wilson Nyabenda, Eric Bikorimana, Euphem Ntakirutimana, and Jean-Marie Selemani. They pleaded guilty and were found guilty of corruption for promoting the election of a candidate. Each was sentenced to two months in prison and a fine of two million Burundi francs.

Aboubakar Sibomana, arrested in Minago with ten voter registration cards—two of which were in his name—was about to vote for eight other people. He admitted the charges and was sentenced to three months in prison and a fine of 500,000 Burundi francs.

Jonathan Bikorimana, caught in Muhuta (a province neighboring Bujumbura) with twenty ballots, pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to five months in prison and a fine of 800,000 Burundi francs.

Finally, Kévin Irankunda received the heaviest sentence : one year in prison and a fine of 400,000 Burundi francs. Arrested in Rutumo (Rumonge district) with 300 ballots, he was accused of voting for several people at once. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by the court.

The verdict, handed down Tuesday night following a trial in flagrante delicto, demonstrates the judicial authorities’ determination to crack down swiftly on any attempt to manipulate the electoral process.