In a bid to reduce heavy expenditure on firewood as a source of energy for cooking in prisons, the use of biogas as an alternative energy has, so far, increased to 55 percent this year.

This was revealed, yesterday, by Mary Gahonzire, the Commissioner General of Prisons, during a news conference in Kacyiru.

"The use of biogas in prisons this year increased to 55 percent from 30 percent the previous year and we are targeting to reach 75 percent before this year ends,” she said, adding that the 10 prisons countrywide are using biogas and this has saved the prisons services millions of francs.

The use of peat energy in Remera Prison, in Kimironko, was recently introduced as an alternative to firewood which is not only costly, but has adverse effects on the environment.

Peat is vegetation matter that is carbonized to be used as either fertilizer or source of energy after decomposition.
Gahonzire noted that Remera Prison no longer uses firewood, but Peat and Biogas

"Peat will supplement biogas and eventually we hope to completely stop the use of firewood,” she explained.
Gahonzire also revealed that production in prisons increased from Rwf624m to Rwf1.8bn this year, all of which was generated from the various income generating activities carried out by the inmates.

Commenting on the transfer of Kigali Central Prison and Remera Prison to Butamwa, the Commissioner General noted that construction works will soon start.

"We have completed surveys on how the place will be connected to water and electricity,” she said.

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