Rwanda’s long-running effort to bring back former beauty pageant organizer Prince Kid has entered another waiting phase, as authorities confirm he remains in U.S. custody pending an extradition decision.
Prosecution authorities confirmed that Prince Kid is currently being held in the U.S., and that efforts are ongoing to have him extradited to Rwanda. The matter came up during a media briefing organized by the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, where journalists sought clarification following international reports about his detention in America.
Responding to the questions, Prosecutor General Angélique Habyarimana explained that Prince Kid’s arrest in the United States is linked to other offences he is alleged to have committed there. However, she stressed that Rwanda had already moved to pursue him through legal channels after he fled the country despite having been convicted of rape.
She noted that the case in Rwanda followed due process from the start. After his arrest, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) compiled a case file and submitted it to the National Public Prosecution Authority. Investigators found sufficient evidence, and the case was taken to a court of first instance. That court initially ruled in his favor and ordered his release—a decision the prosecution strongly disagreed with and promptly appealed.
On appeal, the higher court re-examined the evidence and overturned the earlier ruling, finding Prince Kid guilty of rape.
By the time the appeal was underway, however, Ishimwe Dieudonné had already left the country. The final judgment was therefore delivered in his absence.
Habyarimana explained that when someone is convicted while not present in court, the law allows authorities to continue pursuing them until they serve their sentence. It was under this framework that Rwanda began working closely with U.S. authorities after learning that Prince Kid was also facing legal issues there.
“We formally notified the United States that he is wanted in Rwanda,” she said, adding that Rwanda provided his full identification details and submitted an official request for his return.
The Prosecutor General also acknowledged that extradition processes can take time, especially when a suspect is already under investigation or prosecution in another country. Rwanda, she said, submitted its request for Prince Kid’s extradition in October 2024 and is still waiting for a final decision.
According to information released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Prince Kid was arrested on March 3, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. ICE said he had been living there illegally.
U.S. authorities further indicated that his arrest was carried out in enforcement of warrants issued by Rwanda’s prosecution service on October 29, 2024.
For now, Prince Kid remains in custody in the United States as officials consider the next steps regarding his possible extradition to Rwanda.
Prince Kid was sentenced in October 2023 by Rwanda’s High Council of the Judiciary to five years in prison after being found guilty of rape and sexual exploitation. During the delivery of the verdict, neither he nor his legal team was present in court, although the prosecution was represented.
The presiding judge revealed that the offences ordinarily carried a sentence of up to 16 years in prison. However, taking into account that it was his first conviction, the court reduced the sentence to five years and imposed a fine of two million Rwandan francs.
The case has drawn sustained public attention in Rwanda, both because of Prince Kid’s public profile and the nature of the offences involved.
