Rwanda’s top musician Meddy has been arrested after he was caught drink-driving in the capital, Kigali, police say.
“He was caught speeding and drunk, he will be jailed for five days and fined 150,000 Rwanda francs ($150; £115),” Goretti Umutesi, the Kigali police spokesperson, told the BBC on Monday.
The US-based R&B artist, whose real name is Ngabo Medard, told the BBC in August that he was planning to perform in Rwanda and other African countries.
His most popular song Slowly has more than 18 million views on YouTube:
Rwanda police have in recent months intensified a crackdown on drink-driving to curb traffic accidents.
In the last two weeks of September 191 people were arrested over drink-driving, while in August more than 700 were detained over the same offence.
Despite paying the $150 penalty, some suspects have been held in jail for days, a move that has been criticised as illegal.
Critics have also said that some police officers do not have breathalysers to test and prove that the drivers have breached Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels.
Despite the criticism, Ms Umutesi told the BBC the operation would continue to ensure the roads are safe. BBC News
