Rwanda could soon start training experts in forensic sciences as the country seeks to become a regional hub in the field.
A new bill in the pipeline could make the Rwanda Forensic Laboratory (RFL) a centre of excellence, capable of training experts in forensic sciences from across Africa, The New Times has learnt.
Most of Africa's major training in forensic science, a multidisciplinary field encompassing legal medicine, pathology, microbiology among other subjects, are offered by South African universities.
With a growing demand for experts in forensic sciences on the continent, officials say, Rwanda has received requests of training from a number of countries, which need experts in the field.
"Becoming a larger institution has been part of our strategic plan," said Dr Charles Karangwa, the RFL's Director General, "And we have had different African ministers of justice who visited our country and asked us to train their citizens in forensic sciences and evidence handling."
Karangwa said the training will be academic and short-term courses. The New Times understands the draft law determining the new institution's mandate is still in the Prime Minister's Office.
Bigger institution, more staff
The RFL, which started operations in 2018, has just under 90 staff members, including nine PhD and 20 master's degree holders.
Karangwa said the new institution, which will be called the Rwanda Forensic Institute (RFI), will need more staff and equipment to be able to fulfil its mandate and will be an international training centre, offering academic packages.
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"We are prepared to start. We have established partnerships with the National Forensic Sciences University in India and the Netherlands Forensic Institute and they will support in delivering the highly specialized training," he said.
Forensic services have been offered in Rwanda since 2005, first by the Kigali Forensic Laboratory, which was smaller than the RFL. However, until 2018, the laboratory would collect DNA samples, for instance, and send them to Hamburg, Germany for testing, a situation that kept prices high.
Today, Karangwa said, the prices are much lower than they used to be and the lowest compared with other countries offering similar services.
The RFL says it has handled about 30,000 forensic cases since 2018. Most of the cases were from government institutions such as the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB). Individuals also request services, such as DNA paternity tests for personal interest.
