Nyamasheke motorcyclist flees after hitting four-year-old on way to school

By The Inspirer.

Authorities in Nyamasheke district are searching for a motorcyclist riding a bike with plate number RI 448 Z, who struck a four-year-old child on the way to school in Gihombo sector and fled the scene after seeing the child injured.

Local leaders say efforts are underway in collaboration with residents and security organs to locate the rider who committed the offence and abandoned the child.

The child’s grandmother, Mukamariza Philomène, a resident of Gaseke village, Gitwa cell, Gihombo sector, explained that her grandson was heading to GS Viro preschool in the company of other children when the motorcycle hit him.

“They called me and told me my grandson had been knocked down by a motorcycle. He was bleeding from the head, nose, and mouth, and he could not speak. It was clear he was badly hurt. What pained me most was that the rider simply ran away instead of taking him to hospital,” she said.

Residents quickly carried the injured boy to Kibingo health center, where he was treated and, fortunately, later discharged.

One resident who helped rush the child to hospital condemned the rider’s behavior:
“Even if he was afraid, he should have shown humanity by helping the child. Abandoning him with no adults around was unacceptable. In Rwanda, we value compassion, and such acts must be rejected. The motorcycle will eventually lead to his arrest, and he will be held accountable,” the resident said.

The executive secretary of Gihombo sector, Niyitegeka Jérôme, confirmed that the boy had been discharged after receiving treatment.

“The child was treated and returned home safely, but the rider is still being sought,” he said.

He also advised parents to closely follow up on their children’s journeys to and from school, especially the younger ones, to ensure they arrive and return safely. He urged motorcyclists and other drivers to be extra cautious near children, stressing that hitting a child and fleeing without assistance is a serious offence.

The case has raised public concern in the community, with many residents demanding stronger accountability for reckless riders who endanger lives, particularly those of vulnerable schoolchildren.