After months of consultations with stakeholders and development partners, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) Strategic Plan for 2009 to 2013 was finally launched yesterday.

Earlier in September, a final draft of the five-year strategic planning document had been presented. During the launch of the final document at police Headquarters in Kacyiru, officials, including the acting Commissioner General of Police Mary Gahonzire, were upbeat on the achievement.

"It will provide the government, the people of Rwanda and all the RNP stakeholders with an indication of the strategic priorities that will be pursued by the RNP in partnership with the community and its stakeholders,” Gahonzire said.

Among other things, she explained that it would form the foundation of future collaboration with the community while providing direction to the performance of the police, ensuring that available resources are directed and utilised in accordance with determined priorities.

Giving a brief presentation on the document, the Chair of the RNP strategic plan, Chief Superintendent Felix Namuhoranye, pointed out that serious analysis was done in the initial stages.

"We also considered a number of factors including our mandate in terms of legislation, cross border issues and others,” he said, adding, "We consulted widely, internally and externally and finally developed the strategic plan that we have today.”

Decisive strategic priorities and objectives embraced include community policing, crime prevention, road safety, capacity development, cooperation with development partners and disaster management.

Also highlighted are forensic and medical services, HIV/Aids and opportunistic diseases in the RNP, and its structure and functioning, among others.

Partners, including the South African Police Service and the Swedish National Police Board, assisted the process.

One of South Africa’s representatives, Commissioner George Moorcroft, commented that, "We are going to focus on implementation at the regional level and ensure support from the national office.”

Arne Strom, head of Swedish Development Cooperation extolled the Strategic Plan.

"It will be a key instrument to the Rwanda National Police. It will have a very important role to the development of the national police,” he said, urging partners to commit resources in order for it to work.

"I think we have a situation where the Rwanda National Police is doing well and needs more money and more support. I think we should respond to that,” he underscored.

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