Rwanda Investigative Bureau (RIB) has embarked on an exercise to train their investigators in sign language, with an ultimate goal of having at least one investigator who understand sign language at each of their stations in the country. This is part of the institution’s efforts to offer better services, especially to the deaf who seek their services. The effort will also help cut costs incurred by the taxpayer to pay sign language interpreters, like it has been the practice. The first group of 30 investigators on Tuesday, June 8 completed their three-month course in sign language interpretation and these came from Kamonyi and Rwamagana districts and the City of Kigali. The trainings have been organized through partnerships with Rwanda National Association of Deaf Women (RNADW), National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCDP) and, UNFPA and the US embassy. According to Peter Karake, the Director General for Intelligence and Counterterrorism at RIB, the institution has taken the lead to influence a change of attitude towards persons with disabilities. “We are on the right path to ensure that investigators are equipped with knowledge of sign language to ensure justice for all, and to make sure the deaf community is not viewed as object of charity but active members in the community, for them to also enjoy their right and freedom” Karake said. Dative Mukashema, Executive Director of RNADW said, this is a great programme activity to make sure RIB investigators are equipped with sign language communication skills. “Seeing investigators confident enough to interact with deaf people, it will help them to investigate farther cases of violation of the right of deaf community,” she said. Leon Thierry Niyonsenga, one of the trainees said, they have been facing issues of communicating with the deaf, which ended up affecting the services they offer to people. “We always called for help to people with sign language skills and sometimes the deaf people would not be comfortable with the presence of the third party, or even running a risk of misinterpretation,” he said. Thierry Murangira, the RIB Spokesperson said that the purpose of the training is to ensure unlimited and inclusive services to every person that approaches RIB. “We will extend the training programme to other parts of the country to make sure all the possible investigators get knowledge on sign language,” Murangira said, adding that their wish is to have an investigator who can be able to communicate in sign language with deaf people, at least every RIB station in the country. During the training, investigators are trained in how to interpret sign language letters, numbers and words used in sign language in the justice domain, among others.
