Rumonge : four tax collectors arrested for embezzlement

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, October 23, 2025 — Four tax collectors from the district of Rumonge, in Burunga province in southern Burundi, were arrested on Monday, October 20, by the police. They are suspected of embezzling public funds, according to several local sources.

These district officials allegedly altered the amounts entered on the receipt stubs, resulting in an estimated loss of more than 700,000 Burundi francs for the district.

“The tax collectors prefer to declare internal amounts and put large sums in their own pockets,” confided a district employee on condition of anonymity.

Three of the four people arrested were women, responsible for tax collection in the town of Rumonge. Suspicions arose after the district accounting department discovered falsified tax receipts.

The four suspects are currently held in police custody in Rumonge, while the public prosecutor’s office has taken up the case for embezzlement of public funds.

A reform that leads to abuses

These arrests come amid a reform of the tax collection system adopted by the government of President Évariste Ndayishimiye. Districts are now directly responsible for tax collection, following the termination of contracts with private companies that previously managed this task.

According to several district employees, this measure has reopened the door to internal corrupt practices.

“This system encourages manipulation, especially where oversight remains weak,” laments a district official.

When contacted, the district authorities of Rumonge declined to comment on this information.