History of Rwanda National Police

RNP began with a force of 3,000 personnel. Over the past two decades, it has grown substantially in personnel, specialist knowledge, technical expertise, and material resources, developing in step with Rwanda's broader national transformation.

Today, RNP is responsible for policing the entire country, delivering a wide range of services:

• Public safety and maintenance of social order
• Traffic management and road safety
• Counter-terrorism
• Security of infrastructure 
• Fire fighting and disaster emergency response, etc…

Training & Professional Development

From the outset, RNP invested in building a professional, well-trained institution — not just a larger one.

In 2000, training was delivered through a single facility: 

Police Training School (PTS) — Gishari, Rwamagana District. 

It focused primarily on basic recruit preparation for general duties and frontline policing. 
As Rwanda's security landscape evolved, so did the demands on its police.

Two additional institutions were established in 2013, expanding the scope of academic and specialised training available to both RNP officers and partner security services from across the region:

National Police College (NPC) — Musanze District.

The National Police College serves as a hub for advanced academic education and professional, specialised courses. It equips officers with the analytical skills, leadership capabilities, and operational knowledge required to address complex and evolving security challenges.

Counter Terrorism Training Centre (CTTC) — Mayange, Bugesera District.

The Counter Terrorism Training Centre provides specialised training in counter-terrorism and high-risk operations.
Together, these three institutions have enabled RNP to build a force capable of responding to both everyday policing needs and sophisticated security threats — and to contribute to our partners' capacity-building.

Community Policing

Rwanda National Police believes that safety is built together. Since its establishment, community partnership has been at the heart of RNP's policing philosophy — because lasting security must be co-created with the people it serves.

Through community policing  programmes that mobilise citizens at the grassroots level, RNP works alongside local leaders, schools, businesses, and residents to:

• Prevent crime before it occurs
• Identify emerging threats early
• Resolve community concerns through dialogue rather than enforcement alone

Regular community forums, and public sensitisation campaigns ensure that citizens are active partners in their own safety; not passive recipients of policing.

Regional & International Deployment

Since 2005, Rwanda National Police has extended its contribution beyond national borders, playing an active and growing role in regional and global security architecture.

Rwanda is currently one of the world's leading contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions, deploying personnel to some of the most complex and demanding environments.

RNP deploys two categories of peacekeeping personnel:

• Formed Police Units (FPUs): Highly trained, cohesive units deployed to high-risk environments requiring collective police action.
• Individual Police Officers (IPOs): Specialists who serve as advisors, monitors, and capacity-building experts within mission structures.

Beyond the United Nations, RNP engages in bilateral security deployments and partnerships — supporting stabilisation, restoring peace, countering insurgency, building local capacity, and strengthening the rule of law in partner nations.

Through these deployments, Rwanda National Police has earned an international reputation for professionalism, discipline, and operational effectiveness. It is a demonstration that Rwanda's commitment to peace extends far beyond its own borders.