GISHARI, Rwanda — President Paul Kagame on Wednesday commissioned 436 police officers to the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP), an event that coincided with the Rwanda National Police (RNP) celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The graduation ceremony was held at the Police Training School in Gishari, Rwamagana District. The event was attended by President Kagame, senior government officials, and various national leaders to honor the new junior officers.
The silver jubilee celebrations attracted high-profile security delegations from friendly nations. Police Chiefs and deputies attended from Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Eswatini, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Qatar, Seychelles, Mozambique, Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
This high international turnout highlights the global reputation the RNP has built over two decades. Beyond domestic duties, Rwanda has become a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, deploying disciplined officers and all-female units to volatile regions like South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Closer to home, this institutional discipline has earned the RNP a distinct reputation in Africa for its strict anti-corruption stance. In a region where local law enforcement often struggles with systemic graft, Rwanda enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy toward bribery.
The force relies heavily on digital governance, digitized traffic monitoring, and strict internal oversight to curb malpractice. This commitment to transparency is a foundational element taught to new recruits to cement public trust and align with national goals of clean governance.
The graduating cohort, representing the 14th intake, originally commenced their training on July 15, 2025. The diverse group of graduates consists of 327 men and 109 women who have been preparing for promotion into the junior officer category.
Among the graduates are 124 students who recently completed their undergraduate degrees in various disciplines at the National Police College in Musanze. It also includes 172 personnel who were already serving as lower-ranking officers, including nine from Seychelles.
The intake also integrated 86 recruits from civilian life, and 50 officers drawn from specialized national agencies. Specifically, 30 came from the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and 20 from the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Furthermore, the ranks were bolstered by four exceptional students who completed their specialized officer training abroad in Egypt and Singapore before returning to graduate with their cohort.
Throughout their time in the academy, these officers underwent rigorous coursework designed to enhance their tactical capacity, ethical discipline, and professional conduct at the junior officer level.
Armed with modern policing skills and grounded in the force’s values of integrity, transparency, and peacekeeping excellence, these new junior officers are now fully prepared to handle the evolving security challenges awaiting them in the field.
Nine Seychellois Officers Graduate Among 436 Commissioned into Rwanda National Police
Among the 436 newly minted police officers commissioned into the Rwanda National Police (RNP) on Wednesday were nine graduates from the Seychelles, highlighting growing regional security partnerships as the host nation celebrated its silver jubilee.
The commissioning ceremony, held at the Gishari Police Training School in Rwanda’s eastern Rwamagana District, coincided with the 25th anniversary of the RNP’s establishment.
The nine Seychellois officers received the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) after completing a rigorous, year-long training program. The cohort arrived in Rwanda in June 2025 under a bilateral security cooperation agreement signed between the two African nations in 2023.
The foreign trainees assumed prominent roles during the graduation ceremony, with two Seychellois officers selected to co-lead the fourth and sixth parade platoons alongside their Rwandan counterparts during the traditional military drills.
The contingent also earned academic and disciplinary distinctions. Nicolette Marie, a graduate from the Seychelles, placed fourth overall in the intake for outstanding discipline and professional conduct.
Marie was personally congratulated with a handshake by Rwandan President Paul Kagame before being presented with her award.
“Thank you very much, Your Excellency,” Marie said in English upon receiving the honors from the Head of State.
The joint graduation underscores Rwanda’s expanding role as a regional hub for institutional and security training, drawing personnel from across the continent to its specialized academies.
