Rwanda National Police

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) have emphasized the importance of strong collaboration with the media in promoting public safety and responsible conduct especially during the festive season.

The call was made on Friday, December 5, during a joint interaction session with the media, at the RNP General Headquarters in Kacyiru.

The periodic engagement brings together senior officials from both security institutions and representatives of media outlets to discuss the current security landscape and crime-prevention strategies.

It also serves as a platform to strengthen partnership with the media and to reinforce shared responsibility for maintaining national security.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), CG Felix Namuhoranye, emphasized that journalists remain essential partners in ensuring that the public receives accurate, reliable and timely information.

“Journalists play a critical role in our collective effort to keep the country safe and for the people to stay actively involved in their security and development activities,” IGP Namuhoranye said. "While a few individuals continue to share unverified information, we commend the majority who uphold professionalism and ethical practices.”

He added that Rwanda remains largely secure, but emphasized that continued cooperation with the public and media is vital in sustaining the progress made in crime prevention and community safety.

“The security situation in Rwanda remains stable, even though certain crimes tend to rise towards the end of the year. We call on the media to continue supporting awareness efforts, especially during the festive season, so that citizens celebrate safely and peacefully.”

There was a significant 15.7 percent decrease in overall crime this year compared to 2024, which is attributed to heightened enforcement efforts and active community engagement initiatives.

“We appreciate the ongoing collaborations between journalists and the public in helping us detect, follow up, and prevent crimes. As we enter the festive season, we encourage journalists to continue partnering with security organs to help prevent theft, drunkenness, road accidents, violence, fraud, and other conflicts,” he added.

He noted that the end-of-year period often comes with heightened risks due to increased social activities, and urged journalists to help disseminate key safety messages, particularly around road safety and responsible alcohol consumption.

“Many activities are planned in this festive month of December, such as concerts. As always, we urge people to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol and to be responsive in all their celebrations, keeping in mind that there are individuals also view such merrymaking period as an opportunity to steal” he said.

RIB Secretary General, Col (Rtd) Pacifique Kayigamba Kabanda, reiterated the importance of timely information sharing, both within institutions and through the media, as an essential component of public awareness on public safety.

“What we all strive for is to ensure that our citizens are safe. These are collective responsibilities shared with you, the media, as we all work for the people, they are at the centre of what we all do" Kabanda said.

He added that RIB is committed to open communication with journalists to fulfill their role in informing and educating the public.