The Minister of Education, Joseph Nsengimana, has urged teachers and students to uphold good hygiene and engage in continuous efforts to promote it, emphasizing that hygiene is not a one-day activity but part of Rwandan culture.
He delivered this message on Monday, January 12, 2026, during the launch of the #FresheriKuIshuri campaign, which aims to promote hygiene in schools across the country.
While joining educators and students of GS Karembure in the City of Kigali, Minister Nsengimana reminded them that hygiene should not be practiced only occasionally.
He said: “Hygiene is not a one-day activity; it is a Rwandan value. Let us commit ourselves so that all schools in Rwanda become role models of cleanliness nationwide.”
He explained that before leaving home, a student should check themselves to ensure they are “fresh,” adding that hygiene is not something learned only at school but begins at home.
He said: “That is why parents, as partners in raising Rwanda, must monitor their children’s hygiene—ensure they wash their hands, brush their teeth, wear clean clothes, and come to school neat and clean, because this helps them learn better.”
Minister Nsengimana also called on educators and teachers to be role models in hygiene and to instill these practices in those they teach.
The head teacher of GS Karembure, Sister Edith Uwimbabazi, said that as educators they must be the first to teach students about hygiene, because they spend a lot of time with them.
She said: “We commit to following the example you showed us today, striving for personal cleanliness, encouraging students to take care of themselves, and ensuring cleanliness in classrooms, toilets, and everywhere else.”
Ingabire Latiffa, a student at the school, said they were taught the importance of hygiene and that they will make it a habit.
She said: “We should not think that Friday is the only day for cleaning classrooms; we should understand that washing oneself and cleaning school uniforms should be continuous.”
