By Dr David Himbara
Death in General Paul Kagame’s police and military prisons is now routine. Popular rapper Joshua Tuyishime popularly known as Jay Polly is the latest to die under police custody. He joins a growing list of victims, including senior public servants who directly worked for Kagame, later murdered by his police state
On September 2, 2021, yet another Rwandan died in mysterious circumstances. Jay Polly, whose real name was Joshua Tuyishime, was arrested at his home in April 2021 for hosting a party in violation of Covid regulations and was later paraded along with other suspects in front of the media. In February 2020, Kizito Mihigo, whose music was banned by the regime of General Paul Kagame, died under custody.
Mihigo and Polly are not the first figures to die in mysterious circumstances while in police custody in Kagame’s Rwanda. The former director of finance in Kagame’s office, Kalisa Mupende, was found dead in a military jail in 2020 after spending 9 years in prison. In 2015, Kagame’s personal doctor, Dr Emmanuel Gasakure, was shot dead in custody by police. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of poet Innocent Bahati who has been missing since February 7, 2021 remains a mystery. Stay tuned.
