{Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) adopted biogas facility in all 13 prisons across the country which, officials say, has helped to save over USD1.7 million that was previously used on buying fire wood per year.}
RCS says biogas construction in Rwandan prisons started in 1999 and today it’s operational in all 13 prisons which accommodate over 60,000 prisoners.
The biogas facilities are said to have reduced expenses to the extent that only Rwf 604,930,000 is spent on fire woods.
RCS says that compost remains from biogas are applied to farms as fertilizers which has greatly increased farm yields.
The spokesperson of RCS, CIP Hillary Sengabo said; “Remains of biogas are carried to maize fields, vegetables, coffee, and banana fields. This has immensely increased productivity per unit area.”
He adds using biogas facilities has reduced emissions of smoke that would cause respiratory sicknesses and pollute the atmosphere. Biogas usage has therefore improved prisons hygiene.
Sengabo says the relocation of Gasabo and Nyarugenge prison in Mageragere will reduce firewood expenses since much of the cooking will be done using biogas.
Currently, prisons in Rwanda do 47% of the cooking with fire wood, but, Sengabo says, are targeting to use biogas at 100% by the year 2020.
In the 17th meeting of International Corrections and Prisons Association held in October, 2015 in Melbourne of Australia, RCS scooped an award of preserving environment.
The RCS Deputy Commissioner General, Mary Gahonzire, said that using biogas is a good practice that breeds excellence in environment conservation practices.
“What we have completed is just the beginning. We target to reach 100% of biogas usage by 2020 in all Rwandan prisons,” She said.
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