Kirundo : two motorcyclists sentenced to 20 years in jail for murder and aggravated robbery

SOS Médias Burundi

Kirundo, April 4, 2026 — The summary proceedings chamber of the Kirundo First Instance Court, in Butanyerera province, in the north of the country, delivered its verdict on Thursday, April 2, in a murder case that deeply shocked the local population. Two defendants, Élysée Niyonkuru and Yves Irankunda, both motorcyclists and former demobilized members of the Burundian armed forces, were found guilty of premeditating and carrying out the assassination of Gérard Nibigira.

A macabre trap

According to the prosecution, the events date back to March 22, 2026. The two men allegedly lured their victim to Kireka village, in the Kirundo zone, under the pretext of a real estate transaction.
Upon arriving at the scene, Gérard Nibigira, carrying three million Burundi francs and a mobile phone valued at 600,000 francs, was reportedly strangled with a rope by his assailants.

The perpetrators then hid the body in a marsh, but the hasty burial was poorly executed : part of the body, notably an arm, remained visible. This negligence led children from the neighborhood to discover the body and immediately alert the residents, enabling the swift arrest of the two suspects.

Confession in Court

Appearing before the court, Élysée Niyonkuru and Yves Irankunda confessed to the crime. They expressed their remorse and asked for forgiveness from the victim’s family and the court.

A harsh verdict

After deliberation, the court sentenced the two men to 20 years in prison.
They will also have to jointly pay 200 million Burundi francs to Gérard Nibigira’s family as compensation. The return of the stolen goods—the motorcycle, the three million francs, and the mobile phone—was also ordered.

The court specified that if the fine is not paid, the convicted men will face an additional sentence of up to 500 years in prison, as well as an equivalent fine of 200 million francs each and 8 million Burundian francs to be paid to the public treasury.

A case that raises questions about local security

This tragedy reignites concerns about the safety of citizens, particularly in the face of criminal schemes involving fraudulent transactions. Judicial authorities are calling on the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behavior in order to prevent such acts.