English
Kinyarwanda
Media is an inevitable tool in modern policing structures to reach out and mobilize the citizenry in addressing security challenges they are facing but also one way of being accountable to the people, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Johnston Busingye said.
The Minister made the remarks, yesterday, during the Police-Media interaction session held at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru.
The session was held under the theme: Upholding the partnership journey through professionalism, and it brought together the RNP leadership, heads of media houses, journalists and their self regulatory body—Rwanda Media Commission (RMC).
The session was also attended by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, Deputy IGP in charge of Operations, Felix Namuhoranye and over 150 journalists.
"Fighting and preventing crime is a civic duty, it's not only the responsibility of RNP or RIB," Minister Busingye said.
"We are at the stage of ensuring crime free communities and this challenges everyone on what is required of you as an individual and the media fraternity to implement your civic duty," he added.
He also called for partnership against drugs, GBV and "white collar crime" such as corruption and fraud as well as deadly usage of roads.
"We need discipline on our roads. Indiscipline and deadly behaviours on roads can't be torelated."
Road safety
The Road Safety Week will be launched this Sunday, when Rwanda will also join the rest of the continent to mark the annual Africa Road Safety Day.
Statistics on road security indicate that 437 fatalities and 662 injuries were recorded between January and September this year.
Some of the causes of road accidents include overtaking in hotspots with 7,034 related offences in the same period; driving while on phone with 6,841 cases; 1,404 overspending cases; and drunk driving 1, 064 offenses in the nine months.
Mechanical fault of automobiles was also highlighted among the causes.
Out of 106, 835 mechanical inspections conducted in the last nine months only 49, 359 were found roadworthy.
Majority accidents are recorded between Friday and Monday. Majority of the victims are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Minister Busingye also encouraged them to engage in development journalism by educating the general public to practice family planning, be part of community policing and human security activities.
IGP Munyuza said that the bond between the Police and media emphasizes accountability in good governance and defines joint commitment in security and development matters.
“The Police have a mandate to ensure the security of all people in Rwanda, which requires working day and night. Although we manage to prevent crimes or bring offenders to justice, we well know that we can’t achieve this without the partnership and ownership of the general public and the media in particular,” he added.
He cited various information that RNP got through media, which informed the force’s successful response. Among them include recent reports in social media about a gang of thieves in Huye District that was ambushing and assaulting people, and stealing their belongings especially at night.
On November 5, media reported about the executive secretary of Rwantonde Cell in Kirehe District, who was assaulting and detaining residents in cell offices, we arrested him and is currently in courts of law.
"We have in several occasion, also acted on media reports including the recent theft of 22 school computers in Rusizi and Rubavu where we worked with RIB to recover them and to bring offenders to justice,” he said.
“This partnership is healthy and benefit the people and the country we are equally charged with,” he noted.
He emphasized “professional and balanced reporting” and to “avoid being used or influenced to spread wrong and inaccurate information.”
Cleophas Barore, the chairperson of RMC, said: "The partnership between Police and media is eminent. Our aim as journalist and police is to inform and protect the people in our different professional capacities."
The periodic meeting between RNP and the media fraternity that started in 2014 is aimed at further building strong partnership in awareness against crimes and ensuring professional reporting.
