Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) launched a campaign to fight and prevent the manufacture, trade and consumption of illicit drugs and narcotics in Kirehe district, yesterday, as the force continues its awareness against the vice that is rated high among the youth.

The launch of the campaign which followed three-day operations especially targeting cannabis dealers, as part of the ongoing operations to cut the supply chain, was presided over by the Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana.

The exercise was held under the theme: "Turning Back Drugs to Protect the Youth."

It was characterized by testimonies from reformed drug dealers and attended by local leaders in the Eastern province and hundreds of areas residents and students in particular.

At least 74 percent of narcotics trafficked into Rwanda pass through Kirehe District, according to Police reports.

IGP Gasana recognised the role of reformers and urged them to spread the gospel against narcotics in every corner of Rwanda.

"The war against drug abuse requires collective effort and partnership with Police in order to safeguard our society and protect the future of the youth," he said.

He commended Kirehe residents to work hard to ensure that national programs aimed at development are beneficial to all and urged them to continue this good work by protecting their community against drug traffickers.

"You cannot mix the fast development of Rwanda with the scourge of drug abuse. Let us concentrate on ensuring that we turn back this crime, especially among the youth," he added.

One of the former drug dealers, Damien Nsengimana, 43, is a married man with three children, thriving on a prosperous piggery farm and agriculture in Kirehe District.

In his testimony, Nsengimana said his was surviving of trafficking cannabis and Kanyanga, a banned gin.

“I conducted this illegal act for a period of five years, between 2000 and 2005, until Police arrested me. I had the illusion that selling drugs would make me very rich and that I would live a very lavish life," Nsengimana said.

"However, all they did was to make my life miserable. Drugs isolated me from my wife, children and friends. I could not listen to any advice. Even when my wife threatened to leave me, I did not care."

Nsengimana said that being imprisoned in 2005 came as a blessing in disguise, because it is in prison that he re-learnt all the values of life, self development and national development.

"I was imprisoned for a full year and I thought that my life was over. But when I was there, Police officers would sensitize us about the challenges associated with drug abuse. Even when i had lost hope, they made me feel that I still had a role to play in the development of my country and that I could still be useful to my family,"  Nsengimana said.

He added that when he left prison, he apologised to his family and decided to become a good citizen who abides by the law and contributes to national development.

"Now I have a good house I constructing for my family. My three children go to school and we have a piggery and a beans garden that provide for us. This is the kind of life we should all pursue," he said.

"Many young people are lured into drug abuse because of money. They forget that drugs are very addictive and have a very high potential to ruin futures of bright young men and women," he said.

"Concentrate on your studies. Do not think of shortcuts - and when the time comes in the future - you will be a much better person who can add to the development that Rwanda has achieved."

One of the youth who attended the campaign, eighteen year old Diane Tuyisenge, said that the message motivated her to becoming an ambassador for change among her fellow youth.

"I will ensure that this message reaches out to every young person in our community. We cannot afford to be inactive when such a threat of drug abuse in real. As the youth, we must sensitize our communities and also report those who have refused to change from drug abuse and trafficking," she said.

The campaign which started in Kirehe will also be conducted in other parts of the country.

During the three-day operation, prior to the official launch, officers with sniffer dogs, in which a number of people were arrested including a 19-year old Jean Claude Munyeshyaka, who was arrested yesterday morning en route to Kigali with 8kgs of cannabis.

Besides constantly sensitizing masses throughout the country, RNP has ensured that day and night patrols monitor the borderlines against any criminals that plan to smuggle drugs into Rwanda.

Through RNP's vigilance, unrelenting intelligence, coupled with professional cooperation with the public through community policing, successful anti-narcotics operations have been conducted throughout the country.