{The administration of Rusizi district says that earnings earned by the boat belonging to Nkombo residents donated by President Paul Kagame have begun to dwindle with losses registered in the recent past.}
The boat takes passengers and their merchandise from Rusizi, Karongi to Rubavu.
Kankindi Léoncie, the Rusizi vice mayor in charge of economic affairs and representative of the finance committee has said that they have in the recent past been earning little from the project.
“The earnings have been declining. In the past there was some substantial income gained compared to the present,” he said of the boat they have been using since March 2012.
Some islanders have a feeling that income from their vessel is squandered by managers.
“We never receive reports of annual incomes and expenditures earned per year so that we can compare the performance. The boat should be managed properly so that earnings can help vulnerable citizens to pay medical insurance and pay school fees for poor children, “said Barabona Evaritse.
On the other hand, Kankindi Léoncie says that despite the drop in earnings, they will keep programs meant to avail services to Nkombo residents from the boat’s earnings.
Last year, one hundred families at Nkombo Island received 100 goats from profits made by the boat.
The boat sometimes breaks down creating a lull of inactivity yet the competition has, too, increased on Lake Kivu. Some operators of the boat reveal that in the past they would earn Rwf 1 million from a round trip which has since dropped to Rwf300, 000.
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