The administrator of Vyanda commune in southern Burundi’s Bururi province has been jailed alongside three others over alleged involvement in a large-scale embezzlement case linked to the country’s strategic maize reserves, according to local media reports.
Alex Nshimirimana, administrator of Vyanda, and Aureste Nzohabonayo, local representative of the National Agency for the Management of Strategic Food Reserves (ANAGESSA), were transferred to Bujumbura Central Prison following their arrest. They are accused of complicity in the disappearance of over 22 million Burundian Francs (BIF) earmarked for purchasing maize from local farmers in Gitsiro zone, Vyanda commune.
Their detention follows the earlier arrest of Augustin Ntakirutimana, an ANAGESSA storekeeper in the same commune. He was reportedly accused of embezzling around 25 million BIF in funds intended for maize procurement.
According to the Bururi provincial governor’s office, a formal investigation led by ANAGESSA’s provincial director, Eric Nduwayezu, revealed severe discrepancies in reported maize stock. While local officials claimed to have collected over 13 tons of maize, an on-site inspection uncovered only one ton in the warehouse—much of it already spoiled.
Nduwayezu has since called for legal action to recover the lost funds. The governor’s office confirmed the formation of a commission to investigate the case and ensure accountability.
ANAGESSA, established in 2018 to manage Burundi’s strategic food reserves, has faced mounting scrutiny in recent months. In February, a report from the National Assembly revealed that more than 58% of the agency’s maize seed stock—over 45,000 tons—remained unsold. Lawmakers found that large amounts of the stockpile stored in Mparambo (Cibitoke Province) and Ruyigi were infested with rats, rendering the maize unfit for sale.
The scandal sparked public outrage and calls for urgent reform. “More than 72,000 tons of maize were acquired without first defining a market for their sale,” said MP Jean Claude Nimubona during a parliamentary session.
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