Kirundo : district employees jailed for alleged tax embezzlement

SOS Médias Burundi

Kirundo, April 23, 2026 — In Kirundo district, in Butanyerera province, northern Burundi, a case of alleged embezzlement of public funds is shaking the local administration. Two agents responsible for collecting district taxes have been arrested and detained in police custody, while a third has been actively sought since Tuesday.

Fraud uncovered after a worrying drop in revenue

According to administrative sources, suspicions arose from a significant decrease in district revenue observed since January. Alerted by this unusual situation, the administration conducted a thorough audit of the payment slips.

Falsified slips at the heart of the scandal

The audits revealed blatant irregularities. According to Suavis Rukundo, executive secretary of the Kirundo district, some agents presented receipts containing amounts significantly lower than the sums actually collected from taxpayers.

“We found that the declared figures did not match the amounts collected in the field,” she stated. This manipulation allegedly allowed the accused agents to embezzle a portion of the revenue intended for the district treasury.

Two arrests, one suspect on the run

To date, two agents have already been apprehended and jailed. The search continues for a third suspect who is believed to have fled. The investigations have also been extended to other areas of the district to identify any accomplices or similar cases.

Losses estimated at several million

A source close to the district administration claims that the shortfall is estimated at several tens of millions of Burundi francs over a period of just three months. A significant loss that could affect the functioning of the district and slow down certain development projects.

Economic causes cited by some employees

When questioned about the possible motivations for these embezzlements, some revenue collectors mentioned low salaries. According to them, a monthly salary of less than 250,000 Burundi francs is insufficient to adequately meet basic needs.

Other accounts also mention ambitions to emigrate, particularly to Saudi Arabia. “Some prefer to take risks to quickly raise money to finance their departure,” confided an employee, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A worrying impact on development

An economist contacted emphasized the harmful consequences of such practices on the national economy. “This type of embezzlement considerably hinders the implementation of public projects and jeopardizes development efforts,” he explained.

An investigation is underway to clean up the system

Faced with this situation, the Kirundo district administration asserts its intention to strengthen control and transparency mechanisms in revenue management. The goal is to restore trust and prevent such irregularities from recurring in the future.