NYAGATARE - The National Prisons Services has trained inmates and prison wardens on installation and maintenance of biogas, in part to encourage the use of alternative sources of energy.

The training took place at Nyagatare Juvenile Prison in Nyagatare sector, with trainees drawn from 11 prisons country-wide.

The 23 inmates and 10 prison wardens were selected from Remera, Mpanga, Cayngugu, Kigali Central Prison; Ntsinda, Miyove Karubanda, Gitarama and Lilima Prison.
The training was facilitated by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Emmanuel Rukundo, the head of planning, infrastructure and co-operation in the National Prisons Services, said that the training was geared at conserving the environment.

"In February retreat of government leaders all public institutions were directed to take up strong measures in preserving the environment. We have already been using biogas in 10 prisons and we want to train inmates and prison wardens on installation and maintenance of biogas as a response to the government’s call,” he said.

Rukundo added that prisons service targets biogas installation to reach over  70 percent of its correctional facilities this year.

According to reports from different prisons around the country, the new system of biogas resulted into budget cut on firewood by 30 to 60 percent.

Rukondo, added that biogas will not only minimise costs spent on firewood but will also check pollution from prisons.
"We had a serious problem of using biomass that even affected neighbouring public utilities but the use of  biogas has sorted out this problem,” he said.

Speaking to The New Times, Aloysius Kampayana, one of the trainees and an inmate from Cyangugu Prison, said that they will apply the skills acquired from the training to other prisons in the country.

"The skills from this training will be applied in and out of prisons,” he said.

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