Thirty one Senior Police officers from 10 African countries on July 02, graduated after successfully completing a one-year Police Senior Command and Staff course at Rwanda National Police College(NPC) in Musanze District.

The graduands of the fourth intake of NPC ‘s highest academic course were from Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, Burundi, Namibia, South Sudan, Tanzania Uganda, Zambia and Rwanda, the hosts.

The one-year course offers strategic Command and leadership skills as well as Master’s programme in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation offered in partnership with the Centre for Conflict Management of the University of Rwanda. 

It combines Police components, which include command, and operational staff work offered by Rwanda National Police, and a post graduate diploma in strategic management and leadership offered by Maastricht School of Management from Netherlands.

The Minister for Internal Security, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana who officiated at the ceremony, conferred the officers with certificates and decorated them with the Passed-Staff-College Symbol (PSC). 

"This is yet another indication of the great extent to which Rwanda National Police has moved towards its vision to see that people in Rwanda are  safe, involved and reassured, by increasingly building the capacity of its personnel at all levels,” the minister said.

"In line with this and considering the contemporary nature of human interactions and the ever changing environment of crimes, associated with globablisation and technological advancement, I believe cooperation is key in both, taking advantage of the positive aspects of the current world system and fighting against negative aspects like transnational crimes,” he said.

Just like the previous three intakes, Harerimana said, the sharing of experiences and learning together constitutes a milestone in consolidating the regional cooperation and integration especially in the domain of law enforcement.

He pledged the government support to RNP in capacity building efforts and academic programmes and also urged granduands to maintain the bond they formed since the beginning of the course in the interest of sharing experience.

The commandant of NPC, Commissioner of Police(CP) Felix Namuhoranye, who elaborated on the details of the course, thanked students for discipline  and enthusiasm exhibited during the course. 

"I am confident that the knowledge acquired will not only benefit the granduands but also their nations and the continent entirely,” he noted.

The course acquired by the officers is the highest conducted by NPC. According to the Commandant, the course is designed to impart selected senior police officers with strategic management, leadership command and policing skills as it opens them to the global understanding of the contemporary peace and conflict management.

Participants spent time on field studies both in and outside Rwanda to establish a nexus between theories they learn in class and tangible realities on the ground.  

The graduation was attended by dignitaries from different countries including Senior Rwandan government, Police, and military officers.

Among them include; the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, the commandant of Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College Maj. Gen Jean-Bosco Kazura, the representative of South Sudan IGP,  Lt Gen Abraham Peter Manyuat and senior lecturers from University of Rwanda.

"RNP strongly believe that contemporary policing environment compels us to share these skills with other African countries because in policing no countries can go alone...it is in this spirit that that the course attracted 31 participants from ten African countries,” Namuhoranye said.

During the period of one year, participants were taken through a combined programme addressing both professional and academic needs at the strategic police command level.

"I know that the training has been demanding but I hope it was also educative and rewarding. I am confident that, for many of you, this was a critical opportunity to build on your field of exposure and experience in order to improve your personal confidence to test the validity of your academic learning and to acquire the skills and knowledge that you can use to improve your own performance,” CP Namuhoranye said.

During the ceremony, Minister Harerimana also awarded the four best performing students; SACP Godfrey Mwanza from Zambian Police was awarded  with the best academic paper award for presenting the best commandant paper; RNP’s Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bosco Rangira emerged the most disciplined student for his outstanding conduct throughout the course while Tanzania’s ACP Suzan Kaganda scooped the best allied student’s award for her exceptional academic command and leadership qualities exhibited in different capacities.

The overall best student’s award went to ACP Rafiki Mujiji for demonstrating outstanding leadership, management and command coupled with advanced academic abilities and teamwork. 

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