The eight districts concerned with the decision include Burera, Gicumbi, Kamonyi, Musanze, Nyagatare, Rubavu, Rwamagana and Rutsiro.
The communiqué released by the Office of Prime Minister shows that new measures will take effect from 27th July.
” The Government of Rwanda thanks the public for continued collaboration in observing COVID-19 preventive measures. In order to consolidate the gains in decreasing the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, the Government has extended the current preventive measures for five more days, starting 27th July through 31st July 2021,” reads the communiqué signed by Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente.
The 10-day lockdown (from 17th till 26th July 2021) extended today was initially imposed by the virtual cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 14th July 2021 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic which has been on steady rise.
Other measures taken during the previous cabinet meeting have been also extended where movements and visits outside home are still prohibited except for essential services such as healthcare, food shopping, banking and for personnel performing such services.
Upon arrival in Rwanda on Saturday 24th July 2021, the medical kits were received by the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije.
Dr. Ngamije revealed that received equipment come in handy to complement Rwanda’s efforts to fight against COVID-19.
“Receiving such equipment complements existing efforts towards buying vaccines, other equipment and human capital development. It is a way of concerting efforts to defeat the pandemic,” he said.
Commenting on the donation of medical supplies, the Ambassador of UAE in Rwanda, Hazza Alqahtani said that his country partners with Rwanda be it in good or bad times.
“Rwanda was among the first countries to receive medical aid from the UAE to combat Covid-19. In June 2020, the UAE sent to Rwanda a plane carrying four tonnes of medical supplies to help over 4,000 healthcare workers to contain the spread of the pandemic. In February 2021, the UAE sent a plane carrying 7.8 tonnes of medical aid in support of the Rwandan government’s efforts to fight Covid-19, ” he told Khaleej Times.
Al Qahtani has reiterated his country’s commitment to continue walking with Rwanda particularly during this period of uncertainty brought by COVID-19 pandemic.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus patient on 14th March 2020. So far, the country records over 16,000 active cases, 71 people are critically ill while 727 have succumbed to the virus.
A total of 425,387 people have been vaccinated since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation program on 5th March 2021.
The project consisting of a village with 15 modern homes, is currently on track under the watchful eye of Imara Properties Rwanda, a joint venture by former school colleagues who later became business partners and aligned their resources with the ‘impressive development of Rwanda.’
David Benazeraf, a French entrepreneur who is the CEO and Co-founder of Imara Properties Rwanda has told IGIHE that the idea to start a joint company had not surfaced until he was invited multiple times by his colleagues to come and learn about Rwanda from within.
Considering the existing conducive business environment, he was lured to the country and the decision to create a company in Rwanda was ‘no-brainer’.
The three colleagues from Rwanda namely; Serge Kamuhinda, the CEO of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda; architect, Aimé Bakata Nkunzi and Alain Ngirinshuti, currently serving in the top management of Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) are shareholders of the company.
Within just three months; the rural, nearly abandoned plot at Rebero hill has been cleared, ready to proceed with further construction activities.
Once completed, David Benazeraf who spends most of his time at the site has expressed optimism that the housing project will be among architectural marvels of Kigali City.
“Three months ago, this land was rural. People were growing vegetables and you could see banana trees around. We are very glad to see urbanization ongoing and take pride to be part of the development of Kigali,” he said.
The village, which will be the first of its kind in Kigali, will comprise of 15 homes, each with its unique and private garden. Buildings will be in two main categories namely; a detached house, which is a stand-alone residential structure that does not share outside walls, and a semi-detached house which is a single-family home that shares one common wall with another.
Detached homes will be 170 square kilometers (sqm), comprising four wide bedrooms, three bathrooms, two kitchens, parking with the capacity to accommodate two cars and a staggering 280 to 360 sqm garden.
In fact, all detached homes have been sold out, as well as two thirds of the whole project.
Semi-detached units will be built on 136 sqm, and will have two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two kitchens, parking to accommodate two cars, and 180 to 270 sqm gardens.
The village sits at one of the best locations in Kigali, as residents will have all-time tremendous views of the hilly, yet glittering Kigali, and the flat, well-greened area of the rapidly developing Bugesera district.
According to David Benazeraf, the project is a big success in no smaller part, not only considering its location but also appealing designs that have impressed potential dwellers.
“When you look at the project, it is very unique. We have many apartments across the city and tried to come up with something different. Besides, there are standalone houses with garden, which is among other things luring customers”, he said.
Mr. Benazeraf has bet to complete the project by next year, and the soaring demand might push the company to enlarge the project.
“Of course we didn’t come to Rwanda for just one project, so we are hoping to do different projects, not necessarily the same [as Isange Estate]. We will give it a little bit of time […] we are looking to other projects that will contribute to the urban development of Kigali.”
Rwanda, especially the capital city, is in dire need of new and urban residential apartments to accommodate its rapidly growing population, which is expected to hit 14 million in the next four years and 22 million in 2050.
This stresses the need to draw attention to the country’s small land area and develop affordable homes to attract the growing middle class residents.
Rwanda plans to build at least 150,000 new residential houses annually for the next 15 years to cope with the growing population.
However, their salary is still considered small to afford all their basic needs and provide for their families stressing the need for more incentive programs.
As he addressed members of both chambers of parliament on 22nd July 2021; Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente shed light on planned actions meant to improve teachers’ welfare.
He explained that interested teachers will be facilitated to pursue studies up to Master’s degree with fully paid and non-refundable scholarship.
Among others, the Government has committed to provide half of school fees for students enrolled in Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) after revising existing curriculum.
“It has been agreed that the Government will provide half of the total school fees for every student enrolled in Teacher Training Colleges until completion of their secondary education,” revealed Dr. Ngirente.
The incentive program to pay 50% of school fees went into effect in the year 2020/2021.
Students pursuing courses in education at the university will not be required to refund the scholarship as so long as they are serving in the education sector after graduation.
“A graduate from TTCs who will serve three years as a teacher in Primary School will receive a scholarship to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in education. He/she will be fully sponsored where the tuition fees and living allowances will be catered for by the Government. Upon completion of this degree, the teacher who teachers in a secondary school for five years will receive a fully-paid non-refundable scholarship and living allowances to pursue Master’s degree in education,” Dr. Ngirente explained.
Rwanda has 16 TTCs accommodating between 3000 and 4000 students every year.
Premier Ngirente also reminisced on incentives introduced for teachers including salary increment to motivate them, improve their wellbeing and subsequently paving the way for quality education.
“We are convinced that quality education cannot improve without uplifting teachers’ wellbeing because they have a significant role to play to attain the desired quality education,” he said.
Since 2019, teachers from secondary and primary schools started receiving 10% annual salary increment. An additional 10 percent was made in 2020.
Dr. Ngirente explained that the increment is also planned in the fiscal year 2021/2022 despite difficult times of COVID-19 the country is going through.
In 2006, the Government introduced Umwalimu Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO), a teachers’ credit and savings scheme meant to improve their lives through easy access to financial services and loans at moderate interest rate.
Rwanda Statistical YearBook 2020 shows that the number of qualified teachers increased from 39 453 to 45 714 in 2019.
The decision takes effect from 17th till 26th of July 2021 when Rwandans expect new guidelines.
Following the imposition of lockdown, the Ministry of Health conducted mass testing in different parts of the country to know the status of the pandemic.
Since then, Kigali City continued to be the major hotspot where 3965 positive cases equivalent to 3.7% have been found out of 107 106 sample tests.
In general, 4.5% of these cases were found in Kicukiro district, 3.8% in Gasabo and 2.5% in Nyarugenge district.
The State Minister in Charge of Primary Healthcare at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Tharcisse Mpunga has told IGIHE that 10-day lockdown is not enough to know the status of the pandemic.
“We are taking as many as possible sample tests in different parts identified as major hotspots for COVID-19 infections. Besides, the 10-day lockdown is not enough. It should take at least 21 days taking into consideration the incubation period and days of sickness until recovery. We cannot disregard the fact that people infected before the lockdown may recover within 10 days but there might be active cases confirmed after imposition of lockdown,” he said.
“At least three weeks should be considered before lifting lockdown because all cases are not confirmed in one day. That is when you can rest assured whether movements and new cases have reduced at a desired extent,” added Dr. Mpunga.
In case the 10-day lockdown is not extended, Dr. Mpunga explained that the Government might reopen some activities that could not wreak the havoc.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus patient on 14th March 2020. Since then, 62 328 people have been tested positive of whom 44 739 recovered, 16 871 are active cases, 71 are critically ill while 718 have succumbed to the virus.
A total of 423,182 people have been vaccinated since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation programme on 5th March 2021.
Since the lockdown was imposed on 17th July 2021, there has been no significant progress in reducing new COVID-19 cases and deaths.
One day before the decision went into effect; Rwanda recorded 927 new cases, 10 deaths and 732 recoveries.
On the first day of the lockdown; the country registered 1997 new cases, 12 deaths and 976 recoveries.
The country also registered increased cases on 18th July where 2773 positive cases were confirmed, while 11 succumbed to the virus.
According to the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, these figures give a clear image on status of the pandemic and help the country to identify areas of priorities.
RBC reveals that new tests are conducted within designated timeframe to gauge the situation and confirm whether previously tested patients have recovered.
On Friday 23rd July 2021, RBC conducted the second mass testing of COVID-19 in cells identified as major hotspots where 953 people tested positive.
The majority of new cases were found in 25 cells of Gasabo district, 16 cells from Kicukiro and more 4 cells from Nyarugenge district.
The Ministry of Health reveals that new measures to be implemented after the 10-day lockdown will take into consideration the feedback from recently carried out mass tests in Kigali City and other districts put under lockdown.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
Freehold land title refers to a property title by which the owner of the land owns it for perpetuity. In other words, freehold land title ownership has no limit in time for the landowner and its beneficiaries.
Ujiri has received the land in consideration of special circumstances of strategic national interests pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 revised in 2015 and the law no 27/2021 of 10/06/2021 governing land in Rwanda in its article 6.
The Presidential Order approving the freehold title to Ujiri was published in the Official Gazette of 19th July 2021after proposal by the Minister of Environment and approval by the Cabinet Meeting of 12th June 2021.
The land in plot n° UPI 1/02/13/04/972 with surface of two point four hectares (2.4 Ha) is located in Amahoro village, Rukiri II cell, Remera sector, Gasabo district in the City of Kigali.
The Presidential Order granting the land reads that Ujiri must use the land for which the freehold title is granted to serve the purpose of its allocation in conformity with the agreement signed with the Government of Rwanda and the business plan approved by competent authority, land use laws and other documents determined in accordance with relevant laws.
In case of non-compliance, the Government of Rwanda has the right to cancel freehold title for the land in accordance with relevant laws.
IGIHE has learnt that Ujiri shall use and exploit the land for setting up Ujiri Court chain of community centers to provide Boutique Hotel, community Courts, food courts, merchandise outlets, basketball and tennis courts services.
Ujili, 51, is a close friend of Rwanda who contributed to the establishment of Kigali Arena following discussions with President Paul Kagame as they watched NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, Canada.
Giants of Africa (GOA) is a basketball camp founded by Masai Ujiri as a platform to explore and nurture basketball talent among African youth.
It started in 2003 in Nigeria but in 2014 Ujiri took it outside of the country.
The renovation of the basketball court at Club Rafiki, Nyamirambo, launched on August 8, 2017 and camps to promote youth’s basketball talent since 2015 are among fruits of Ujiri’s contribution to the development of basketball in Rwanda and the African continent.
In February 2020, Kagame and Ujiri announced the Giants of Africa festival that was expected to take place in Kigali, August 2020, bringing together 11 countries.
At the time, Kagame thanked Masai Ujiri for his work with Giants of Africa and said that the camp is crucial in developing the talents of African youth.
Masai Ujiri also thanked the president for his role in the development of Africa and the way he puts into action everything he pledges, including the building of Kigali Arena.
“I thank President Kagame for his amazing work and for accepting that this camp takes place here. Africans must win because we are the winners.”
Born in 1970, Masai Ujiri is a Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball executive and former player and is the president of basketball operations of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
After a modest playing career, Ujiri became a scout in 2002, first for the Orlando Magic and then the Denver Nuggets. In 2008, he joined the backroom staff of the Toronto Raptors.
Ujiri returned to the Nuggets in 2010 as general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations, and helped turn the team’s fortunes around, returning them to the playoffs. As a result, he was named the NBA Executive of the Year in 2013. The following season, Ujiri returned to the Raptors as General Manager.
In the summer of 2016, Ujiri relinquished his title as General Manager to Jeff Weltman and accepted the position of president of basketball operations.
As president, Ujiri worked to usher in a period of sustained success, helping the team win its first NBA championship in 2019.
Kagame made the observation on Thursday 22nd July 2021 as he delivered remarks at ‘Building The Bandwidth Meeting’ organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with the Varkey Foundation and CJ Cultural Foundation.
It was attended by UNESCO Director General, Audrey Azoulay and Sunny Varkey, the Founder and Chairman of Varkey Foundation which is a philanthropic organisation established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children throughout the world among others.
As he addressed participants, Kagame stressed the need to develop inclusive policies to ensure no girl is left behind and shared Rwanda’s experience.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected all aspects of national life, and education has not been spared. The disruption of in-person classes has exposed, more than ever, the gap in digital access, skills, and online learning for all children, especially girls. We have the opportunity to re-engage in the cause of girls’ education so that they are not left even further behind,” he said.
“In Rwanda, we continue to make significant investments in digital infrastructure and training for our young people. For example, the Rwanda Coding Academy admits 50 percent girls and aims to resolve the shortage in engineers through a focused engineering program at high school level,” added Kagame.
Among others, Kagame reminisced how centres of excellence in ICT including Carnegie Mellon University-Africa, the University of Rwanda, and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences have dedicated scholarships for female candidates and stressed the need to ensure that ‘the ongoing global health crisis does not erode these initiatives, and other similar efforts around the world, aimed at bridging the digital gender divide’.
Kagame further stated that narrowing the gap also requires sustaining efforts for inclusive economic growth, guarantee security and community safety, and continuing to promote gender equality more generally.
“Through partnership with UNESCO and other regional and global initiatives, Rwanda will continue to advocate and act, to ensure girls have access to the digital resources and skills they need,” he affirmed.
Touching different districts including Nyagatare, Gatsibo and Kayonza, the park spent approximately 40 years without generating revenues until 1975 when coordinated tourism activities started booming.
It covers a total land area of 1,122 square kilometers but used to cover an area of 2500 square kilometers reduced to about 50% in 1997 when the land was reallocated as a farmland for the returning Rwandans after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
According to the park’s management, the government of Rwanda reduced the size of the park to 1122 square kilometers in 2009 so as to create room for people and then protect wildlife.
Akagera National park is run and managed by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) together with African Parks, a conservation organization from South Africa.
The park is dominated by swamps, hills, acacia, woodland, grassland vegetation and small lakes and is named after Kagera River which flows along the eastern boundary of Rwanda and feed into Lake Ihema which is the second largest lake in Rwanda.
Travelling across the park along 120-kilometer cleared roads can take between six to seven hours.
With its large part being savannah, the park gives a clear view for tourists to watch far-distant animals.
Distinctive flora and fauna and the presence of the big five animals attracts domestic and foreign tourists to consume in the beauty of the park on regular basis.
{{1. Booming conservation efforts}}
Despite expended conservation efforts, the park once seemed extinct due to ineffective management and consequences of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi where activities (poaching) of humans resettled in the park exerted pressure on the harmony of the jungle and culminated into the extinction of some animals while others escaped the park to surrounding areas.
In 1970, Rwanda had some rhinos translocated to the park from Tanzania for the previous 13 years but poaching activities saw them wiped out later.
The park registered between 250 and 300 lion population in 1990 but disappeared in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi as they were hunted and killed by herdsmen protecting their cattle.
The research on Rwanda’s tourism carried out by Dr. Rwanyiziri Gaspard in 2008, indicated that tourism activities in Akagera National Park were dormant in 1998 but increased gradually until 6000 visitors were registered in 2002.
Today, Akagera National Park is among most visited in Rwanda. The park registered 50,000 visitors in 2019 of whom 50% are Rwandans. The number increased from 44,000 of the previous year where it earned Rwf2 billion.
Besides the availability of food which makes the park ecologically ready, conservation efforts have yielded and enabled reestablishment of the park’s equilibrium in the ecosystem with significant increase of animals including herbivores and big carnivores.
Among others, human population has been separated from the wildlife, ensuring the competition for survival between the two communities is lessened.
People who in the past resided in the park have been resettled while the park’s demarcations have been fenced off animals are kept outside human populations.
Also, RDB which oversees Rwanda’s tourism industry in the past introduced a tourism revenue sharing scheme under which 5% of the total revenues from every tourist attraction is given back to surrounding communities through different development projects.
The park is also home to different lakes including Ihema where different animals quench thirst.
{{2. Most visited park}}
The research carried out by Dr. Gaspard Rwanyiziri also shows that Akagera registered between 2500 and 3000 visitors in 1990 who decreased gradually due to security problems the country was undergoing until 1994 when the park had no visitors.
Tourism activities resumed in 1995 to 1997 but the number was below 4000.
In 2004, the park recorded over 15,000 visitors.
The report of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) released in 2020 indicates that the park registered 321,745 visitors; Virunga National Park which is home to gorillas was visited by approximately 308,333 tourists while Nyungwe National Park recorded 93.528 visitors between 2005 and 2017.
{{3.Home to big five}}
With ongoing conservation efforts, Akagera National Park is currently home to the big five animals including elephant, rhinos, leopard, buffalo and lion.
These rare wild species have a significant impact to attracting tourists and are probably among major reasons making it the most visited park in Rwanda.
Haya Bajnouj, a tourist from Dubai who spoke to RBA after visiting the park in 2019 said he was had most wonderful moments in Akagera since he started visiting parks.
“Visiting Akagera National Park was the first amazing excursion. I am very excited for the good moments I have had in the park where I saw elephant, zebra, and buffalo among other animals. I also visited gorillas recently but seeing the elephant was the most amazing experience,” he said.
Lions and rhinos among other animals that went extinct were reintroduced to the park through the partnership of Rwanda with other countries.
For instance, 7 lions including five females and two males from South Africa were reintroduced in 2015 after 15 years of extinction through RDB’s partnership with African Parks. More two male lions were later reintroduced in 2017.
In 2020, African parks revealed that lion population quadrupled.
Else, 18 black rhinos from South Africa were reintroduced to Akagera National Park in 2017 following 10 years of extinction. The first calves were born in 2018, and five black rhinos translocated from European zoos (Czech Republic) in June 2019 promise to boost genetic diversity.
Elephants have always naturally occurred in Akagera, but poaching wiped them out until an initial reintroduction returned a young group of 26 individuals all under the age of eight in 1975. The founder population has since grown to roughly 100 individuals.
{{4. Diverse animal species}}
Apart from the big five, Akagera National Park is home to over 13,000 mammals and more than 490 bird species.
Following lion and rhino reintroductions, Akagera officially became a “Big Five” park in May 2017. It now boasts thriving populations of lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, as well as zebra, giraffe, and hundreds of bird species.
{{Predators }}
Before the reintroduction of lions, the park’s only large predators were leopards and spotted hyena. A founder population of seven lions was reintroduced in 2015 after the species was hunted out in the 1990s.
Two additional males were translocated to the park in 2017 to increase genetic diversity and the park’s lion population has since quadrupled in size. Small predators are also abundant: serval, side-striped jackal, and several mongoose and viverrid species are thriving.
{{Primates}}
Of the primate family, olive baboons and vervet monkeys are common in Akagera.
Far rarer is the secretive blue monkey that, until a few years ago, was believed to be extinct in the park.
{{Herbivores}}
Elephant, rhino, giraffe, and hippopotamus are the largest mammals found in the park. They join several naturally occurring large plains game species, including buffalo, topi, zebra, defassa waterbuck, the elusive roan antelope, and the statuesque eland. Smaller herbivores include duiker, oribi, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, bushbuck, and impala. The endangered Masai giraffe was introduced to Akagera from Kenya in 1986, and the current population contains an estimated 78 individuals.
{{Avifauna}}
Over 400 bird species have been documented in the park. Akagera is an important ornithological site, with rarities such as the shoebill and papyrus gonolek, both restricted to papyrus swamps as well as the localised red-faced barbet and the swamp flycatcher. Six vulture species, including the lappet-faced and white-backed, were documented a rare find for the park.
More bird species likely to sight are, fish eagles, Cattle Egret, Hamerkop, Sacred and Hadada Ibis, Augur Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, and Pied Crow. Black-headed and Viellot’s Black Weavers, Grey-backed Fiscals, Fan-tailed Widowbird and Caruther’s Cisticola.
{{5. Largest National Park}}
Created in 1934, Akagera National Park Akagera was initially stretched to 2500 square kilometers (sq km).
In 1997, the park was downsized by two thirds due to land pressure from returning Rwandans after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. The park currently covers the land area of 1122 sq km but it still boasts an impressive biodiversity despite its reduction in size and remains the largest park in Rwanda followed by Virunga National Park with 160sq km and Nyungwe National Park with 150sq km.
In 2019, the three national parks registered 111,136 visitors.
{{Akagera National Park’s flora and fauna in pictures}}
Hidalgo who is currently President of the association, was accompanied by the Mayor of Kigali City, Prudence Rubingisa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta as she met with Kagame at Village Urugwiro on Wednesday 21st July 2021.
Topics of discussions have not been mentioned but the visit comes at a time when Rwanda and France relations is at commendable pace following the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in May 2021.
The 41st Congress of the Association of Mayors of Francophone Cities will be concluded with the approval of development projects worth US$1.5 million.
During her stay in Rwanda, Hildalgo has so far visited Nyandungu Ecotourism Park and signed cooperation agreement with the City of Kigali in the areas of culture, technology and innovation.
Hidalgo is the Mayor of Paris since 2014. Hidalgo previously visited Rwanda in 2019 where she paid tribute to victims of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi laid at Kigali Memorial.
The current water distribution policy in Rwanda shows that water is made easier when residents can fetch from 500 meters in rural areas or 200 meters in towns.
Despite the country’s ambitious target; Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) the only institution responsible for water distribution across the country has been mired in mismanagement and ineffective performance which is bound to affect the goal if no action is taken.
The issue saw parliamentarians summoning the Minister of Infrastructure, Amb Claver Gatete recently on 14th July 2021 to respond to queries related to the performance of WASAC and Rwanda Energy Group (REG).
Parliamentarians including Elizabeth Mukamana expressed concerns over old and ravaged water distribution networks that are not replaced as well as lost water believed to be among rampant problems that might hinder the target.
“How should we rest assured? What are areas of priority for Rwanda to achieve universal access to water?” she asked.
The concern was raised at a time when different parts of the country particularly in Eastern Province and parts of Kigali City often experience water shortage despite huge budget allocated for related infrastructures.
In a bid to address water scarcity in Kigali, WASAC invested over US$66 million for expansion and construction of new water treatment plants.
These include Nzove I, Nzove II and Nzove III. Each of the three plants was expected to produce 40 cubic meters per day but operated at 41% and 49% capacity between January and October 2019 as per General Auditor’s report.
Amb. Gatete explained that inefficient supply of water results from small networks and insufficient reservoirs.
He assured that there is plan to replace water supply networks with standard equipment along 568 kilometers in Kigali city and 1112 in secondary cities to be completed by the end of December 2021.
“It is not an easy task but we must be accomplished anyway,” stated Gatete.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), the revised Kigali City Water Supply Master Plan to be implemented until 2050 in partnership with Japan has been completed.
The latter is expected to facilitate budgeting for increased access to safe water among the population.
It is estimated that Kigali City will need 1,070,000 cubic meters per day by 2050.
Minister Gatete highlighted that increasing and upgrading water treatment plants is key for the target to materialize.
The quantity will be supplied from different treatment plants including Nzove (88,000 cubic meters), Karenge (102,000), Masaka (120,000), Nyabarongo (240,000), Gahanga (280,000), Rwesero (18000), and Rutonde (80,000) per day.
“Under this project, we plan to use large water pipelines and water reservoirs to keep uninterrupted flowing of water. We have created additional 900-diameter long water supply network from Nzove to Ntora to increase the current quantity by 87,000 cubic meters,” he said.
Water reservoirs are also expected to increase from the current 75 to 232 with the capacity of storing 118,589 cubic meters per day.
“With these efforts, the current volume of water in Kigali City will double. This gives optimism to address water shortage completely,” revealed Gatete.
It is expected that more 20,000 cubic meters from Nzove treatment plant will be supplied to Rugalika in Kamonyi district every day while water supply master plan in the remaining parts of the country will have been completed by November 2021.
Other water plants to be constructed upcountry include Gihira in Rubavu expected to produce 15,000 cubic meters, Moya in Rusizi, Mushongoro in Karongi, Muhazi in Gatsibo, Ngoma in Nyagatare, Sake in Ngoma and Busogwe in Nyanza among others.
Currently, 86% of Rwandans are reported to have access to safe water.
