IN THE FIRST Rwanda Correctional Services’ inmates graduation ceremony that took place at Nyarugenge Prison Thursday, May, 26, Jean Bosco Uwihoreye, commonly known as Ndimbati, surprised the audience when he performed a play that he wrote. The play portrayed an image of how inmates can benefit from the training they get from TVET vocational studies and become useful people in society.

He was among the inmates that attended the graduation ceremony, which he said he really admires.

"Though I’m not among the ones who obtained the training because I’m still a defendant, if I don’t get released I would immediately join TVET learning as well” said Ndimbati 

In an interview with The New Times, the jailed comedian described how his life in prison is, during the day and the weekend. He said the activity he likes to participate in mostly is sports, acting rehearsals with his fellow inmates and for the rest of the day, they have conversations as people who live together. 

When asked if he misses the people he used to live with, before he went in jail he said he missed a lot of people.  

"Well I miss all of my friends, it’s not that easy to spend time like that which I have spent here without seeing people you used to see everyday, I miss them very much” Ndimbati said. 

Though he is in prison, he still finds hobbies to help him relax, with the different sports activities in prison like volleyball, football, basketball, Ndimbati says all those help him have a good time in prison.

It’s almost a month since Ndimbati was denied bail, and was sent to Nyarugenge prison. He shares what his experience was when he first got into prison saying he arrived not knowing what to expect but fortunately he was welcomed by inmates who comforted him. 

"When you come here there is a lesson you must acquire that people who have never been here won’t know; it’s the fact that everything is possible” Ndimbati said 

When asked what he will do when he gets released, he said he would take time to teach his fellow Rwandans about the dangers of crimes, including smaller ones.

"If I get a chance to go out, there are things I can teach fellow Rwandans, there are people who don’t know that even verbal abuse alone is a crime, the strength people have should not be for fighting but for developing the country,” the actor said.