total of 1,561 prison officer cadets have graduated from a nine-month training programme at Kiwira Prisons College, joining the Tanzania Prisons Service workforce with skills in correctional services, security, prisoner management and human rights.
The graduation ceremony for Course No. 33 was officiated by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dr Franklin Jasson Rwezimula, on October 17, 2026.
The graduates include 367 women and 1,194 men, out of 1,564 cadets who began the training.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Rwezimula urged the graduates to serve with integrity, discipline and commitment, stressing the importance of respecting the laws and regulations governing the Tanzania Prisons Service and the country.
He called on the newly trained officers to put national interests and the welfare of the Service first as they take up their responsibilities.
Dr Rwezimula also urged them to take weather advisories seriously, particularly those concerning El Niño-related rainfall, before inspecting the graduates' parade and inaugurating three residential houses for prison officers, with a combined capacity to accommodate six families.
The graduation comes as the Tanzania Prisons Service continues to strengthen its capacity to provide secure custody, rehabilitate offenders and support efforts to prevent crime.
The Commissioner General of Prisons thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for supporting the Service through increased budgetary allocations, improvements in employees' benefits and approval of recruitment permits.
He said the government's support had contributed to strengthening the institution's human resources and operational capacity.
The Commissioner General also disclosed that President Samia had recently promoted 36 prison officers, including 14 Deputy Commissioners of Prisons and 22 Senior Assistant Commissioners of Prisons.
He said the Service's responsibilities extend beyond keeping prisoners in secure custody to include rehabilitation programmes, crime prevention and the provision of services to remandees in accordance with the law.
He added that the latest training programme incorporated new curricula intended to improve officers' professional competence and effectiveness in carrying out their duties.
Kiwira Prisons College Commandant, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons (ACP) Fred Wambura, said the cadets had received training in correctional science, prison security and safety, prisoner management, communication, resource management, professional ethics and human rights.
The training is intended to equip the officers with the knowledge and practical skills required to perform their duties while maintaining discipline, professionalism and respect for human rights.
Speaking on behalf of her fellow graduates, Catherine Afwilile Mwakijungu thanked President Samia for approving the recruitment that enabled them to join the Tanzania Prisons Service.
She also expressed gratitude to the Commissioner General for providing them with the opportunity to undertake the training, which has prepared them to begin their careers in the Service.
The 1,561 graduates now join the country's correctional workforce at a time when effective prisoner rehabilitation, secure custody and respect for human rights remain important elements of the justice system.