LGBTQ Rwandan designer held on forged passport claims

A transgender Rwandan fashion designer, who
counted President Paul Kagame among their customers, has been detained on
forgery accusations after claiming their passport has been changed to reflect
their gender, police said Friday.

Moses Turahirwa, 35, was taken into custody on Thursday after sharing a
photograph on Instagram of their passport, indicating their gender as female.

“Finally officially female on my ID. How fun. Thank you Kagame,” posted
Turahirwa, who identifies as they/she on social media.

“Turahirwa Moses was summoned by RIB (Rwanda Investigation Bureau) to
explain the source of the forged passport after the Directorate General of
Immigration and Emigration confirmed that it did not issue the said passport,”
RIB spokesman Thierry Murangira told reporters.

“Drug abuse has been added to the crimes Turahirwa is being accused of
after Rwanda Forensic Laboratory tests confirmed that he illegally used
cannabis,” Murangira added.

“Investigations will continue while provisionally detained.”

Although Rwanda is among a handful of African countries that are
signatories to a 2011 United Nations joint statement condemning violence
against LGBTQ people, the community continues to battle abuse and stigma.

A former model and founder of the bespoke Kigali fashion house Moshions,
Turahirwa resigned as CEO of their company in November following an outcry
over the release of nude photographs on their social media accounts.

In January, the designer — who has designed clothes for Kagame and his
family — faced heavy criticism in Rwanda after the leak of a video allegedly
showing them having sex with two men.

Homosexuality is not banned in Rwanda, unlike neighbouring Tanzania, Uganda
and Burundi.(AFP)