Kicukiro: Domestic Worker Suspected of Killing Colleague and Hiding Body in Box

Kigali, Rwanda - December 21, 2025

A 28-year-old male domestic worker is suspected of killing his female colleague, concealing her body in a clothes box, and fleeing the scene in a crime reported in Amahoro Village, Karembure Cell, Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District, authorities said.

The City of Kigali Spokesperson, Ntirenganya Emma Claudine confirmed the incident, stating that local authorities immediately alerted security forces upon receiving the report.

“That is the case. A female domestic worker has died. As local authorities, the first thing we do when someone goes missing is to notify the security forces,” she said.

She added that the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and the National Police were informed and have launched a criminal investigation. Residents were urged to cooperate with authorities, avoid violence and crime, and report any suspicious activity without delay.

Samuel Ntakirutimana, identified the suspect as a 28-year-old man from Gasabo District, Rusororo Sector.According to Ntakirutimana, he and his wife left their home on the morning of December 21 to attend a wedding, leaving the household in the care of their domestic workers. One maid was assigned to childcare, while the other handled household chores.

At around 5:00 p.m., concern arose when repeated calls to the house went unanswered. Ntakirutimana then asked his younger brother, who lives nearby, to check on the situation.

“My brother knocked, but no one answered. The keys to our bedroom were kept at my grandmother’s house, so another brother went to get them. When they entered, they found the door open and went to check on the child. The door to our room was broken, but the child was found sleeping,” he said.

Ntakirutimana’s wife and his elder brother rushed to the house, discovering signs of a break-in. The bedroom was ransacked, clothes belonging to the couple were packed into bags, a mattress had been moved to the guest room, and the bags were grouped together-suggesting preparations to flee.

“My brother returned to the wedding venue and informed me by phone: ‘We found Mutoni in a box; she was killed,’” Ntakirutimana said. “I left immediately and went straight to the RIB.”

He noted that there had been no prior conflicts reported at the household. At the time of the incident, the children in the home were six months and three weeks old.

The suspect fled and is currently the subject of an active manhunt by security forces.

Under Rwandan law, anyone convicted by a court of manslaughter or homicide faces life imprisonment.