Rwanda, Zimbabwe prison services commit to sharing best practices

By New Times Rwanda

Rwanda and Zimbabwe correctional services have amended and signed the existing Memorandum of Understanding and committed to sharing best practices and enhancing their cooperation.

The signing took place at Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) headquarters on Monday, March 6.

The spokesperson of Rwanda Correctional Services (RCS) Senior Superintendent of Prisons Pelly Uwera Gakwaya, said; “We signed an MOU before but the one we are signing today has new elements such as the use of Biogas, technology like Inmates Management System (IMS), Plea bargaining, and health insurance to all inmates among others,” she said

According to Uwera, through the same agreement, RCS will also learn ways of improving the education system for inmates saying that Zimbabwe is advanced in that area.

On his part, the Commissioner General of Zimbabwe Correctional Services, Moses Cryil Ngawaite Chihobvu, who is leading a delegation to Rwanda said that their mission to Rwanda is to benchmark between the two countries adding that there are a lot of things that they can learn from each other.

“Not because any country is better than another but we have to remember that in running correction institutions you need to learn what others are doing for improvement,” he said

Furthermore, Chihobyu pointed out that they already learned a lot starting from how RCS is organised as well as the structured saying is something they should also modify back home as the institution is currently undergoing reforms along with how inmates are rehabilitated among others.

He disclosed that among the cooperation between the two countries, there is also an aspect of production especially in agriculture in various ways.