More than 26,000 litres of Akarusho, the banana-based alcoholic drink produced by entrepreneur Sina Gerard’s Entreprise Urwibutso, have been destroyed as Rwanda intensifies a nationwide crackdown on alcoholic beverages deemed unsafe or non-compliant.
KIGALI, Rwanda — August 19, 2026 — Rwanda’s sweeping crackdown on alcoholic beverages has reached one of the country’s most recognizable homegrown brands, after authorities destroyed more than 26,000 litres of Akarusho at Nyirangarama in Rulindo District.
Akarusho is produced by Entreprise Urwibutso, the agro-processing company founded by prominent Rwandan entrepreneur Sina Gerard. The banana-based alcoholic beverage has been sold in Rwanda for more than two decades and is closely associated with the Nyirangarama brand.
Its destruction has therefore attracted particular attention among Rwandans, with social-media users questioning how such a long-established product became caught up in the government's alcohol crackdown.
Why was Akarusho destroyed?
According to the reporting available, authorities said inspections identified problems involving hygiene and the production process that could potentially affect consumers' health.
On August 18, officials in Rulindo District destroyed more than 26,000 litres of Akarusho, alongside other alcoholic products considered non-compliant.
Police spokesperson CIP Ignace Ngirabakunzi said problems had been identified during inspections, while the company was reportedly instructed to address the deficiencies.
The destruction came days after the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) reportedly closed the alcoholic-beverage production section of Sina Gerard's factory on August 8. Other food and juice operations were not included in that closure.
Part of a much bigger crackdown
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Why Did Rwanda Destroy 26,000 Litres of Its Famous Akarusho Drink?
Aug 19, 2026
Aug 19, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
More than 26,000 litres of Akarusho, the banana-based alcoholic drink produced by entrepreneur Sina Gerard’s Entreprise Urwibutso, have been destroyed as Rwanda intensifies a nationwide crackdown on alcoholic beverages deemed unsafe or non-compliant.
KIGALI, Rwanda — August 19, 2026 — Rwanda’s sweeping crackdown on alcoholic beverages has reached one of the country’s most recognizable homegrown brands, after authorities destroyed more than 26,000 litres of Akarusho at Nyirangarama in Rulindo District.
Akarusho is produced by Entreprise Urwibutso, the agro-processing company founded by prominent Rwandan entrepreneur Sina Gerard. The banana-based alcoholic beverage has been sold in Rwanda for more than two decades and is closely associated with the Nyirangarama brand.
Its destruction has therefore attracted particular attention among Rwandans, with social-media users questioning how such a long-established product became caught up in the government's alcohol crackdown.
Why was Akarusho destroyed?
According to the reporting available, authorities said inspections identified problems involving hygiene and the production process that could potentially affect consumers' health.
On August 18, officials in Rulindo District destroyed more than 26,000 litres of Akarusho, alongside other alcoholic products considered non-compliant.
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Police spokesperson CIP Ignace Ngirabakunzi said problems had been identified during inspections, while the company was reportedly instructed to address the deficiencies.
The destruction came days after the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) reportedly closed the alcoholic-beverage production section of Sina Gerard's factory on August 8. Other food and juice operations were not included in that closure.
Part of a much bigger crackdown
The action against Akarusho did not occur in isolation.
Rwandan authorities have launched a broad campaign against alcoholic beverages following reports of deaths and serious health problems associated with contaminated or improperly produced alcohol.
Factories have been inspected and closed, products removed from circulation and large quantities of alcoholic beverages and ethanol seized or destroyed.
The government presents the operation as a public-health intervention designed to remove potentially dangerous products from the market.
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But Akarusho's case has made the crackdown considerably more controversial.
Why are some Rwandans questioning the decision?
Unlike an unknown illicit brew, Akarusho has been part of Rwanda's domestic beverage market for years.
Its producer, Sina Gerard, built Nyirangarama into one of Rwanda's recognizable agro-processing businesses, producing beverages, food products and the internationally known Akabanga chilli oil.
That history has prompted questions online about how more than 26,000 litres of an established commercial product reached the point where authorities considered destruction necessary.
Some Rwandans have questioned whether regulatory problems existed previously, how the product was allowed to remain on the market if standards were not being met, and whether destroying such a large quantity was the appropriate response.
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Others support the crackdown, arguing that the reputation or longevity of a company should not exempt it from food and beverage safety requirements.
Public safety versus protecting local industry
That is now the larger debate surrounding Akarusho.
Rwanda has legitimate reason to act against alcohol that poses a demonstrated health risk. Contaminated alcohol can cause severe poisoning, blindness and death.
At the same time, enforcement against an established Made-in-Rwanda producer raises questions about regulatory oversight and the economic consequences for domestic businesses, employees and agricultural suppliers.
The central issue is therefore bigger than 26,000 litres of banana wine.
If Akarusho failed required standards, authorities will face questions about how those failures developed and how long regulators knew about them. If the company corrects the cited deficiencies, another question will follow: when — and under what conditions — will production be allowed to resume?
For one of Rwanda's most familiar locally produced drinks, the crackdown has turned a public-health enforcement action into a wider debate about regulation, accountability and the treatment of domestic industry.
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