Rwanda National Police

A three-person delegation of senior officials from the Togolese anti-corruption agency—Haute Autorite des Prevention et de Lutte Contre la corruption et les Infractions Assimilées (HAPLUCIA)—visited Rwanda National Police (RNP) on July 17, to acquaint themselves with Rwanda’s response to all forms of graft.

The officials said the purpose of the visit was to learn on the best practices in law enforcement against graft in public offices and hold an interactive session on Rwanda’s corruption eradication strategies.

They were received by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Emmanuel Karasi, the Commissioner for Inspectorate of Service and Ethics (ISE), who briefed them on RNP’s strategies in enforcing the zero-tolerance policy on corruption.

ACP Karasi said: “RNP has well established codes of conduct and internal disciplinary measures to sanction any officer marred in any form of graft including automatic expulsion from the force and eventual prosecution.”

He explained that the force has increasingly invested in the use of Information  and Communications technologies (ICT) in its provision of services, which reduced physical contact between the public and officers, thus significantly reducing incidences of corruption.

The ICT services include online registration for aspiring drivers, results, application for motor-vehicle mechanical inspection as well as the establishment of toll-free lines; 997 and 3511 to report any form of corruption, poor service or abuse by a Police officer.

ACP Karasi further said that the force, among other measures to eliminate corruption, works with other anti-corruption institutions in the fight and supports community initiatives to report any forms of lawlessness through anti-crime clubs.

The head of the Togolese anti-graft delegation, Jeanette M’mah Tchemi, hailed the progress made by Rwanda in protecting public resources especially in putting to account public officials.
 
“We were impressed by the legal mechanisms for public officials to declare their assets each year, including Police officers, and means established to account for any disparity in assets they possess at the end of every year… we shall try to replicate this practice,” said Tchemi.

She said they will work with authorities to sensitize and mobilize a critical mass of their citizens to understand and fight corruption tendencies often time done unwittingly but continue to damage economies of nations.

The 2018 Corruption Perception Index, a global index that measures the level of corruption across the world, ranked Rwanda the fourth least corrupt country in Africa and 48th globally.