A total of 526 inmates convicted of involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi have been urged to avoid reoffending as they prepare to complete their sentences and return to their families and communities.
The inmates are taking part in the 10th edition of a training programme on strengthening unity and resilience, organised by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement. They are among prisoners expected to complete their sentences by December 31, 2026.
The training began on September 5, 2026, at Nyamasheke Prison.
Speaking at the launch, Alice Kayumba, Executive Director in charge of National Unity and Resilience, urged the participants to take the training seriously, saying the lessons would help them reintegrate into society after their release.
She said the programme is designed to help participants understand their responsibility in preventing discrimination, divisionism and genocide ideology, while also deepening their understanding of Rwanda’s history.
The training will also help them understand the consequences of the Genocide against the Tutsi for themselves, their families, survivors and the country as a whole, as well as their role in contributing to the development of their families and the country.
Participants are also expected to use the programme as an opportunity to overcome the stigma associated with the crimes they committed, rebuild their confidence and reintegrate into the communities where they will resume their lives.
The programme encourages them to seek forgiveness for their crimes, provide information about the whereabouts of bodies of victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi that have not yet been given a dignified burial, and learn how to live peacefully with others.
Deputy Commissioner General of the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), DCG Theos Badege, urged the inmates to make a deliberate commitment to staying away from crime after their release and ensure they never return to prison.
“We do not want to see the name of any inmate here appear again in the RCS records. Work to make sure that does not happen, because it is possible,” Badege said.
The training brings together 526 male inmates from different correctional facilities across the country and is scheduled to conclude on October 28, 2026.
