EAC to set up joint referral forensic centre

A group of experts from the East African Community (EAC) member states were, yesterday, in the country to assess Rwanda’s ability to host the bloc’s referral forensic centre, a move aimed at addressing the region’s criminal investigations challenges.The forensic experts, who are visiting all the five member states, are evaluating to identify the country with the capacity and requirements needed to host the multi-million dollar Regional Referral Forensic Centre (RRFC).RFFC is a brain child of Council of East African Police Chiefs to address challenges in investigations, strengthen forensic services and criminal justice department. Its role will be to ensure that EAC countries have harmonized forensic centres.Criminal cases are time and again thrown out of court due to lack of proper forensic evidence to support them.The criteria for a country to host RRFC include having a national forensic centre attached to a certain institution, has regional responsibilities and staff, and is able to sustain provisions in terms of national budget lines for recurrent expenses. It should also be able to model its laboratory along the line of centres of excellence as prescribed under the “EAC Cooperation in Defence Affairs’ in the region or within the ‘African Peace and Security Framework”.The centre will also be responsible for standards and quality assurance, certify forensic experts and accredit EAC states forensic laboratories. It will also conduct forensic research and disseminate information to national forensic labs and train forensic practitioners.While addressing the experts, the Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, explained that the force was on course to complete a state-of-art forensic facility by the end of next year.Once complete, the scheduled multi-million dollar laboratory, to be located at the Metropolitan Police Building (MPB), formerly Kabuga building, will offer about ten forensic disciplines including DNA, toxicology and ballistics.Toxicology is a test done on a person who, for instance, was poisoned while ballistics are tests that involve arms and explosives.Gasana observed that lack of enough equipment, capabilities and skills had forced countries to rely on outsourcing external expertise. The government spends millions on such tests carried out abroad, most of them in Germany. The current forensic laboratory carries out limited tests which include fingerprints and document analysis. “We need to integrate resources to ensure that the region is self-sustained without having to fly evidence abroad, which is expensive,” Gasana said.Police introduced forensic science and criminology courses at the National Police University in Musanze to equip its officers with skills in criminal investigations.The experts, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Didacus Kaguta Bazirakye, in charge of Peace and security at the EAC Secretariat, also visited Rwanda’s forensic establishments and supporting amenities.Currently, only Tanzania and Uganda are yet to be assessed, before the experts compile a report, which will be presented in the next 5th Sectoral Council on Inter-State Security and regional police chiefs meeting.