Miss Rwanda arrested for drink-driving after accident

A beauty queen in Rwanda has been arrested for drink-driving and driving without a licence.

Police said Divine Muheto, who won the most recent Miss Rwanda beauty pageant, had damaged “infrastructure” and then fled the scene. The statement does not say whether anybody was hurt in the incident.

It is not the first time the 21-year-old has driven under the influence of alcohol, police in the East African country added.

Ms Muheto has not publicly reacted to the arrest.

It was announced by the police on Tuesday, after days of speculation that she had been detained over a collision.

A court in capital city Kigali will begin hearing Ms Muheto’s case on Thursday, a prosecution spokesperson told local media.

Ms Muheto gained fame in Rwanda after she won the national beauty contest in 2022.

The competition has not been held since – it was suspended by the government after sexual misconduct allegations were made against the organisers.

Drink-driving carries a fine of 150,000 Rwandan francs ($110; £85) and five days in police custody.

Thousands of people have been arrested for this crime in recent years as police have begun to enforce the law.

In 2022, a member of parliament apologised and resigned for drink-driving.

According to the government, the recent strict enforcement of traffic laws has significantly reduced the number of fatal road accidents in Rwanda.