President Evariste Ndayishimiye has warned that he may dissolve and completely restructure Burundi’s judiciary, condemning it as corrupt and unaccountable to the people. The announcement was made during a public crusade in Burundi’s political capital Gitega, marking five years of his presidency.
In a fiery speech, President Ndayishimiye denounced the current state of the justice system, describing it as “rotten” and ineffective. “There is an institution that upholds the law — that is the judiciary,” he said. “But when I reached the level of the judges, I found it rotten.”
His criticism follows mounting concerns in parliament over the continued detention of acquitted individuals, with lawmakers calling for urgent reforms. The President’s remarks also come amid a broader public debate on systemic failures in the judiciary.
Recurring Frustrations with Judicial Corruption
President Ndayishimiye’s frustration with the judiciary is not new. In recent years, he met with judicial leaders in Bujumbura and accused them of corruption and economic misconduct. “Everywhere I go, I receive over a thousand complaints about the justice system every day,” he said. “Foreign investors avoid Burundi because they know there is no legal recourse here. You strip them of their money and expect development?”
He accused some judges of creating legal protections for themselves, arguing that they now wield unchecked power. “They claim to be independent. A judge even says, ‘No one can question me on how I ruled a case.’ These people believe no one can touch them.”
The President claimed he had previously tried to grant the judiciary more independence and protection from political interference. However, he now believes that judges exploited that freedom. “I gave them the power to serve the people without fear — and instead, they used it to shield themselves,” he lamented.
Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Illegal Detentions
The President’s remarks came just days after Members of Parliament expressed concerns over unlawful detentions. During a parliamentary session last week, where the Justice Minister was presenting a financial report, several MPs condemned the continued imprisonment of individuals who had already been declared innocent by the courts.
Agathon Rwasa, a prominent opposition figure and MP, criticized the disregard for court decisions. “There are people who are imprisoned, win their court cases, and are declared innocent — yet they remain behind bars. This undermines the credibility of our justice system,” he said.
MP Simon Bizimungu raised even more alarming concerns about unacknowledged detention centers. “We hear of many people being arrested, but their families cannot find them in any known detention centers. So where are these ‘unknown’ detention centers, and who operates them?” he asked.
Justice Minister Domine Banyankimbona admitted she was unaware of such facilities. She urged lawmakers to raise any specific cases of disappearances so the government could investigate. “The detention centers I know are the recognized ones. As for the unknown ones, I don’t know of any. We must work together to uncover the truth,” she said.
In response to the judiciary’s failures, Ndayishimiye vowed sweeping reforms. “Together with the national Assembly, we can fire all the judges and start over, with new laws and new appointments,” he said, adding: “The judges have betrayed me.”
He urged citizens to report any abuse of power directly to him. “If someone tries to use political influence, tell me. I have a stick — granted by the law — and I will use it.”
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