Rwanda National Police

RNP joins youth in 'special Umuganda,' pledges to face-lift Gikomero football ground

On Saturday July 18, Rwanda National Police (RNP) joined residents of Gikomero Sector in Gasabo District in a special community work - Umuganda - organized by the youth, where the force pledged to face-lift Gikomero football ground under its programme of supporting sports development in the country, and to enhance the police-public partnership to reduce crime and its negative consequences.

The Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa, who presided over the exercise, said: "Such valuable support should be rewarded with standing up against crimes like illicit drugs, gender based violence and sexual violence and other criminal activities," she noted.

"We are enjoying good governance, there is security, universal education and universal health services are closer to the people. When you have all these and many more, you need to go further to create recreational grounds, and this programme to establish playgrounds to lowest governance level are geared towards that," she added.

The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana, who participated at the Special Umugande, announced the RNP support.

IGP Gasana said: "The Rwanda National Police engineering regiment is going to deploy its machines here and level this playground to the required standard."

He also pledged a uniform to Gikomero football club

"RNP attaches much value to youth and sports development. All this is done because there is security and peace in the country, but we should make the partnership stronger to fight things like negative ideology, illicit drugs and other negative and illegal tendencies which undervalue the tradition of Rwanda and undermine development," he added.

Girl rescued from suspected human trafficker

Police on July 17 rescued a 19-year old Rwandan girl from a suspected human trafficker as they attempted to the cross to the neighboring country through Rusumo border post in Kirehe district.

The suspect identified as Michael Okoye, a Nigerian national was also arrested and currently detained at Kirehe Police station as investigations continue.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect, who operates a mobile telephone shop in the City of Kigali, intended to traffic the victim to Dar-el-Salaam where she would be handed to another Nigerian.

Although Okoye claimed that he was not trafficking the girl, but told Police that he was requested by his fellow Nigerian identified as Steven Adada living in Tanzania, to facilitate the girl link up with him.

"We are aware of the existence of human traffickers and the tricks they use to manipulate their targets. Rwanda National Police has put in place strategies to fight such modern day slavery including sensitizing the public about dangers involved and to partner with them to identify and report such traffickers," IP Kayigi said.

He urged the public especially the youth, who are the majority targets, not to be carried by empty promises from traffickers, instead report such people so that they are arrested.

IGP Gasana rallies commercial motorcyclists to abide by traffic rules

In a bid to advance the community policing initiative, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana reached out to commercial motorcyclists operating in Huye and Gisagara districts, where he urged for stronger partnership in overcoming crimes that could  threaten  the country's steady development if not checked.

IGP Gasana made the remarks on July 17 during a sensitization campaign in the Southern Province, which is part of Rwanda National Police (RNP) initiative to scale out the community policing initiatives , which calls for collective responsibility of residents to work together with law enforcers in order to keep their societies peaceful.

During this meeting, he met with over one thousand five hundred commercial(1500) motorcyclists and pledged RNP support to strengthen their cooperatives  including construction of  their commercial facility  in Huye town.

In his remarks, IGP Gasana commended the motorcyclists for their important services to community, and advised them to form an umbrella that will organize  and strengthen their cooperatives in order to carry out their business with professionalism and views for strategic actions.

"Your business helps lots of Rwandans - and that is why you should always conduct yourselves professionally and be accountable for your actions. Abide by the traffic rules in order to avoid road accidents which are not only dangerous to your lives, but also dangerous to the lives of your passengers and other road users," he said.

RNP establish special 'Anti-corruption and Public Fund Embezzlement Unit'

Rwanda National Police, on July 16 inaugurated a special 'Anti -corruption and Public Fund Embezzlement Unit' that will handle all cases related to the  crimes.

The Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye officiated the launch of the unit at the RNP headquarters in Kacyiru. The new unit will be operating under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The launch of the anti graft special unit also kicked off  a one day workshop on anti corruption that brought together police officers dealing with corruption operating across the country.

Minister Busingye reminded officers that corruption is one of the "worst offenses that can be committed against a people."

He hinted on using a multisectoral approach in countering corruption, saying that with the help of units in the Prosecution and the Courts, a strong chain and institutional framework that instils in citizens the sense of hatred for corruption, can be built.

"Corrupt people should not find the space to parade ill-gotten wealth and receive praise. The addition of this Unit to the chain therefore is very welcome news and I call upon all stakeholders to support the unit as much as possible. The Ministry of Justice will be open and ready to render any support within its boundaries," Busingye said.

"It is a silent disabler, robber, impoverisher and ultimately a killer. It is a cancer that quietly,but later openly, steals away people's lives. Corruption and embezzlement of public funds are directly linked to, if not causes of, retarded development, poor health, failed infrastructure, incurable red tape, loss of public confidence in state institutions and moral fabric decay," he said.

"We need to send a clear message to those still risking that they will not only be defeated but will be outlasted as well. Our systems need to press on the twin vices so hard that those who assume the risk can only be citizens on the fringe, with no culture, no values, no self-worth, no dignity and generally made a net loss from our education system," he said.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, said: "We can't succeed in fighting these crimes if the culprits are not brought to justice. To achieve this, there must be synergy among all stakeholders in public and private sectors. Apart from the corruption and public embezzlement unit, other strategies police has put in place to deal with corruption related matters include the internal anti-corruption unit that follows up corruption-related cases and service delivery within RNP," he said.

He added that; “We are opening a new chapter in responding to these crimes. We need joint trainings and cooperation in handling these crimes. We also need to put much focus on research and development. Corruption is a threat to development, it should not delay us and we should not fail in fighting it.”

RNP parades 15 counterfeit currency suspects

On Wednesday July 15, Rwanda National Police (RNP) paraded 15 people at Kicukiro Police station, who were arrested recently in connection with either making or circulating counterfeit currencies.

The suspects arrested separately in different parts of the country, include a syndicate of six men that includes a headmaster, who was found in possession of fake bills worth Euro 24, 800.

All the suspects were arrested in Police operations conducted in the last one month.

Fake notes of Rwf310, 000, Euros 24, 800 and $8, 700, were also seized from the suspects.

Police Spokesperson CSP Celestin Twahirwa, said that although counterfeit money hasn’t become a big concern in Rwanda, the public needs to be on alert and report such cases.

“We highly appreciate the cooperation from the people. Most of these people were apprehended because people were quick to report and cooperated with the Police,” CSP Twahirwa said.

“We have systems and means to deal with such crimes. We already have a unit charged with that and working with financial institutions and telecoms to ensure safety of people’s money,” CSP Twahirwa said.

RNP reconciles 35 wrecked families in Ngororero

Rwanda National Police continued its family reconciliation programme where it reunited 35 couples whose relationship had broken due to valued domestic disputes.

Among those reconciles is a 54 year old Habineza Michel and his wife Pélagie Yankurije. Yankurije had left her husband, whom they have three children together.

Habineza, a resident of Nyange Sector in Ngororero District, used to derive his passion in spending all his earnings on alcohol; he cared less about his wife and children’s survival. At times, he would return home to his hungry family and batter them.

Time came when Habineza’s wife, Pélagie Yankurije could not take it anymore; she had to separate with her husband and left him with their three children.

According to Habineza, 54, losing his wife did make him change; “I continued with my routine. Every time I got paid, my first priority was drinking; I could not stop until I ran out of money, then I could stagger home. At home, I had terrorized my family until the time my wife decided to leave.”

“I have vowed to change my lifestyle and I am happy that my wife has promised to forget everything and return home,” said Habineza.

Habineza suddenly met with his wife at a town hall meeting called by RNP and National Women’s Council in Ngororero, to reconciled wrecked families.

The couple keenly followed lessons from Inspector of Police (AIP) Alexandre Minani, who encouraged them to reconcile and reunite.

“My husband now understands that it’s wrong to drink all his earnings, batter his partner and starve the family. I am going to return back to my family and live happily with my husband since he has promised to change,” Yankurije said.

She also thanks the police for its role in mending her family and also requested the force to continue assisting more families to settle wrangles amicably.