Slaughterhouse operators across Rwanda have been urged to strengthen compliance with hygiene standards and meat business regulations to ensure food safety, protect public health and improve the quality of meat supplied to consumers.

The call was made during a training workshop on Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and regulation of meat business organized by the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority through its Registration and Licensing Unit.

The training was conducted in response to Recommendation of the 2025 Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Performance Audit on regulatory authorities overseeing the meat value chain in Rwanda, which recommended structured hygiene training for slaughterhouse operators following persistent non-compliance in the sector.

Speaking during the opening of the workshop, Director General Jean Pierre Bajeneza said improving hygiene standards in slaughterhouses is essential in protecting consumers and strengthening confidence in Rwanda’s meat industry.

“The safety of meat starts at the slaughterhouse. Operators must comply with hygiene and regulatory requirements to ensure that consumers receive safe and quality products,” He said.

He added that the training forms part of RICA’s broader efforts to address recurring concerns identified in the OAG audits and to strengthen accountability within the meat value chain.

A total of forty (40) slaughterhouse representatives participated in the training. 

The training was further integrated into the national Zamukana Ubuziranenge Programme, an initiative aimed at promoting food safety, hygiene awareness and consumer protection across the food supply chain.

During the sessions, participants were trained on key components of Good Hygiene Practices, including personnel hygiene, facility sanitation, meat inspection procedures, temperature control, water quality management, waste management and proper slaughterhouse design and layout.

Facilitators emphasized that Good Hygiene Practices form the foundation of food safety systems and are a prerequisite for advanced standards such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

One of the RICA’s trainers, Gaspard Simbarikure  noted that failure to implement basic hygiene measures undermines efforts to ensure safe meat production.

“Good Hygiene Practices are not optional requirements; they are the basis of every safe slaughterhouse operation. Without proper hygiene systems, it becomes impossible to guarantee food safety and consumer protection,” He said.

Bright RWEGO, a trainer from the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) encouraged operators to make use of official support channels and take advantage of the Zamukana Ubuziranenge Programme, which is offered free of charge to support hygiene and food safety compliance.

Speaking on behalf of trainees, one slaughterhouse representative MBAGA Daniel welcomed the initiative and said the training had provided practical knowledge needed to improve operations and hygiene practices within slaughterhouses.

“This training has helped us better understand our responsibilities in ensuring meat safety and complying with regulations. We will share the knowledge with our colleagues and work to improve hygiene standards in our facilities,” the representative said.

Trainers said post-training monitoring activities are expected to be conducted at the end of June 2026 in collaboration with the Farm Products and Processes Unit enforcement team to assess implementation of the recommendations and progress made by slaughterhouse operators.

RICA further noted that the training supports national efforts to strengthen food safety systems, promote voluntary compliance and enhance coordination among institutions involved in the regulation of the meat value chain, including Rwanda Environment Management Authority (rema), Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (RFDA), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) and the Ministry of Health (MoH).