A total of 444 prison warders, 130 of them women, on December 13 graduated from a Rwanda Correction Services (RCS) training school in Rwamagana Dsitrict, Eastern Province. The group was trained in basic warder disciplines for ten months.

Speaking at the pass-out ceremony, the Minister of Interior, Alfred Gasana, urged them to uphold RCS values so they can protect and correct incarcerated people, skilfully.

"Most of the people in correctional facilities nowadays are the youth and it’s your duty to train, correct, and help them get reintegrated in society, to be useful to their families and the community upon release,” he said, giving assertion that the government will continue to support the centre to train more correctional officers.

The Commandant of RCS Training School, Jean Bosco Kabanda, said this was the fifth intake and it started with 500 people.

He said that thanks to a partnership with Rwanda National Police, 40 were sent to be trained in their school located in Gishari while 16 failed to complete the course for several reasons.

Kabanda pointed out that the training covered correctional facilities' duties, physical fitness, weapon handling, and security management, among others.

He concluded by saying that all warders who passed believed that they will fulfill their duties based on the knowledge they acquired over the past 10 months and urged them to keep training themselves.

Meanwhile, Pascaline Mukarugira, one of the warders passed out, said that she learnt a lot these past months and is ready to practice the acquired skills and work.

Leon Sibomana, another graduate, said that he wanted to contribute to the country’s development. "My dreams came true as I graduated and I am ready to serve as a correctional officer,” he said.