Rwanda National Police

Since 2010, Rwanda National Police (RNP) has conducted its annual community human security activities commonly known as Police Month.

The month-long community development activities, which are also part of the RNP anniversary, focuses on supporting communities and to cement the people-centered policing—a community policing methodology—and raising awareness against high impact crimes.

Over the years, the force has engaged in various policing and human security activities to ensure the responsiveness of everyone in fighting and preventing crime, and improving the welfare of the people as a way of dealing with the root-cause of crime.

This year, the activities included the construction of 30 houses for the disadvantaged families (one in each district) and six Village offices. The residential and village offices were also installed with solar energy. RNP also connected other 3, 000 households that are far from the national grid, with solar energy, paid annual medical insurance premium (Mutuelle de Santé) for 3, 000 people country-wide and more than 1000 Police officers donated blood to boost the national blood bank.

The 2018 pre-anniversary activities valued at over Rwf600 million included connecting over 3000 households with solar energy, building offices for five identified crime-free villages as well as constructing and renovating roads linking communities and constructing houses for the disadvantaged families.

It was the same practice in the pre-17th anniversary in 2017 when community development activities valued at over Rwf371.7 million were conducted across the country, including distributing and connecting over 3400 households (at least one Village in each of the 30 districts) and 30 health centres with solar energy; medical insurance for 700 people, constructed two playgrounds in Gasabo and Gatsibo districts, constructed 150 toilets, extended clean tap water to over 600 households in Gasabo, Burera, Kirehe, Rwamagana, Rutsiro and Nyamagabe districts, constructed or renovated 53 houses for the less advantaged families as well as roads and bridges linking communities, among others.

One of the people, who benefited from these human security activities are from Sheke Village, Bitare Cell of Ngera Sector in Nyaruguru District. The whole village was connected with solar energy and some families given decent shelter and a heifer.

On November 13, residents of Sheke dedicated this day to celebrating their partnership with the Police in security and development matters.

“This fully-equipped beautiful house with chairs and beddings was constructed for me by our Police, I never had a house before. Today, I sleep well and I am secure; I came here today to celebrate our country and our Police which look at the wider aspect of security to the way people eat and sleep,” says Francine Kabatesi, one of the Police Month beneficiaries of Sheke Village.

A 17-year old Jacqueline Mugirwa now in Senior One says solar energy installed in their house led to improvement in her performance at school.

“I have excelled in my school performance. My previous performance was below average because using a candle to revise, as you know, it’s not easy and kerosene has its health implications. I improved from 48 percent in my previous performance to 70 percent this term because I can wake up in the night and revise my books.”

Superintendent of Police Boniface Kagenza, the District Police Commander for Nyaruguru, while addressing the residents, thanked them for their ownership in fighting and preventing crimes, and urged them to guard and protect their infrastructures.
 
“All these community development activities are the results of safety and security we all enjoy today, which should be guarded and sustained jealously. Support and strengthen your night patrols, know people in your neighbourhoods, always be quick to provide information on wrongdoers and give no ears to those who would want to sway you astray,” said Supt. Kagenza

The RNP Community Policing approach is hinged on the core values of: Justice and respect for human rights, gender sensitivity, Integrity, teamwork, openness, accountability, partnership and a community relations focus, professional conduct, efficiency and effectiveness.

The Police Month held annually, also supplements the national development agenda and builds strong partnership between RNP and the citizenry in identifying, fighting and preventing crimes.

The 4th resolution of the 13th National Dialogue of December 2015, demands deepened citizen participation in planning, monitoring, and implementation of development programmes. Police Month, therefore, responds to this demand by ensuring effective engagement between the police and the community, along with other government institutions and partners in addressing existing human security needs in collaboration with citizens as they take part in their own security and development issues.