Miss Rwanda Divine Muheto arrested after drunk driving accident

A beauty queen in Rwanda has been arrested for drunk driving and driving without a license.

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

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

Ms. Muheto has not commented publicly on the arrest.

After days of speculation, police announced on Tuesday that she had been arrested following a hit-and-run.

A court in the capital Kigali will begin hearing Ms Muheto’s case on Thursday, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office told local media.

Ms Muheto rose to fame in Rwanda after winning the 2022 national beauty pageant.

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

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

Thousands of people have been arrested for this crime in recent years as police have started enforcing the law.

In 2022, an MP apologized and resigned for drunk driving.

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