KIGALI - The National Prisons Service (NPS), on Thursday, handed over 11 new vehicles to prison directors s across the country, a move aimed to improve the efficiency of the service.

Speaking during the handover of the vehicles, the Commissioner General of NPS, Mary Gahonzire, said the vehicles, valued at over Rwf256 m were purchased from proceeds of the prisons production department.

"The money spent on these vehicles came from services rendered to the community by prisoners…we have participated and won tenders to partake in various activities,” Gahonzire said.

"Basing on the recent improvement in the performance of prisons production departments across the country’s prisons, we have confidence that we will be able to increase production by up to 30 percent, instead of the projected 15 percent for next year,” Gahonzire stressed.
Meanwhile, Gahonzire said that the work that was done by prisoners in the just-concluded Prisons Week was valued at over Rwf200m.

The works included construction of classrooms to support the 9-Year Basic Education, houses for vulnerable citizens and rehabilitation of bridges and other social infrastructures. 

Gahonzire said that for the past nine months, prisons activities have saved the government over Rwf1.2 billion.

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