Remera prison to house females only

The government has said it will turn Remera prison into an exclusive female facility, a move aimed at having more organised and innovative correctional centres.The prison in Kimironko, a Kigali suburb, currently shelters only male inmates.Speaking to The New Times, Fazil Musa Harelimana, the Minister of Internal Security, said the new plan will be effected when the construction of Butamwa prison is complete.The new prison facility in Butamwa will cost Rwf2 billion.On the other hand, Butamwa prison, once completed, will host all male inmates from the Kigali Central Prison, commonly known as ‘1930’ and those from Remera prison.‘1930’ will be relocated to the new site to pave way for the implementation of the Kigali city master plan.Currently, there are 8,467 inmates in 1930 and Remera prisons. The 522 female inmates are all at the central prison. There are 57,789 prisoners across the country, 3,569 of them females.About 72 per cent of female inmates are said to be jailed for genocide related crimes.Harelimana also noted that Remera prison will be the expo ground for all products produced in all prisons across the country.“But it will also have a transit centre where inmates from upcountry, whose cases are tried in Kigali or seeking medication in Kigali, will be sheltered,” the minister explained.Meanwhile, the minister disclosed that the construction of Butamwa prison is scheduled to commence in July.Previously, it was planned that the new prison would be completed by the end of this year, but Harelimana was noncommittal if this deadline would be met.“In the performance contract we signed with the President, we set end of June – end of this financial year – to have completed the architectural design of the Butamwa facility. We are supposed to have acquired all relevant documents related to the construction of the prison; approved designs, district construction permits so that effectively July 1, we start construction,” he said.He, however, noted that they “faced some hiccups” in acquiring the relevant documents.The government plans to use part of the eight hectare land currently housing 1930 prison to construct the headquarters of Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS).RCS currently operates in a rental facility at Kisementi in Remera, Kigali.

National

Remera prison to house females only