Rwanda plans to acquire drones to help fight fires as authorities seek to strengthen the country’s emergency response capacity amid rising fire incidents and mounting property losses.
SP (Rtd) Ruboneza Nkorerimana, from the Ministry of Interior’s policy and security department, announced the plan in an interview with Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), saying the government intends to procure the technology as resources become available.
“Depending on the country’s capacity, there are plans to acquire firefighting drones in the near future. As resources increase, more equipment will also be purchased,” Ruboneza said.
Rwanda has recorded more than 400 fires since the beginning of 2026, according to figures cited in the interview, highlighting the challenge facing emergency services as they work to protect lives, businesses and infrastructure.
The scale of the losses was underscored by a recent fire at GOICO Plaza in Musanze, which destroyed merchandise valued at more than 30 billion Rwandan francs. The building itself was valued at 17 billion francs.
Ruboneza said Rwanda already had fire engines operating in Kigali and other parts of the country, but acknowledged that existing equipment was not sufficient to meet all needs.
“The equipment is available, although not yet at the level we would like. We have fire engines in Kigali and the provinces, but our ambition is for every district to have sufficient firefighting capacity,” he said.
Alongside plans to acquire more equipment, the government is expanding training in fire prevention and response, particularly in workplaces.
Since June 2026, more than 71 public institutions and over 2,880 employees have received training on how to prevent and respond to fires, Ruboneza said. The programme is expected to extend to private companies and communities across the provinces.
The proposed acquisition of drones comes as Rwanda seeks to improve its wider firefighting capacity. Over the past five years, the country recorded 1,380 fires that killed 28 people and damaged commercial buildings, workshops, vehicles and other property, according to figures previously released by the Ministry of Interior.
The government says it aims to strengthen fire prevention and emergency response to reduce loss of life and property.
