The Rwandan Patriot

In the United Kingdom, anything you post on Twitter, Facebook or any other social media platform could bring the cops to your door. It can be anything, from grumbling about a bad service at the airport, or speaking about victims of a bombing in Afghanistan. According to accounts by two news platforms, The Verge and The Register , arrests and charging of those who fall fowl of the law concerns what is commonly known as “section 127”. Latest figures are not available . However, going back some years, the data is staggering. In 2012, over 3,000 were arrest for posting different things online. That year, to be exact, 1,423 people were found guilty and were jailed or fined up to £5,000 which is about Frw 6million. So how many have faced same wrath in Rwanda? Imagine if less than 10 are arrested in Rwanda.                          

Last year in September, The New York Times carried an extensive investigation into social media arrests in Germany. The Times found that there is no national database that keeps data on social media arrests. However, the paper found more than 8,500 cases tracked by different agencies. Overall, more than 1,000 people have been charged or punished since 2018, a figure many experts said is probably much higher. How many were arrested in Rwanda for what they post on social media? The jury is out there for you to decide.