By David Himbara
Kagame government now says 100% Rwandans will have access to clean water and electricity by 2024. The same government said in 2016 that 70% of Rwandans would have electricity by 2018, which would increase to 100% by 2020.
The government of General Paul Kagame says 100% Rwandans will have access to electricity and clean water by 2024. This is wonderful news indeed. However, the regime owes Rwandans an explanation. Let us recall for a moment what the same government promised earlier.
In 2016, the Kagame government stated that by 2018, 70% of Rwandans would have electricity, which would increase to 100% by 2020. In an earlier assertion made in 2013, the same government said that Rwanda would generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity by 2017:
“Out of the 1,000MW, 320 MW will come from hydro power, 300 MW from methane gas, 310 MW from geothermal and 200 MW from peat energy sources…The government plans to invest US$4.7 billion to achieve its objective.”
So, Mr. Kagame explain why you are changing the tune — namely, that you will achieve 100% electricity access in 2024, instead of 2020 as earlier promised? Explain why Rwanda has only 221 Megawatts and only 51%electricity access in 2019 when you promised 1,000 MW and 100% access by 2020. What exactly went wrong? In the case of clean water, the current access rate across Rwanda is shameful. In North Province, the access rate is 8%; in Western and Southern Provinces access rate stands at 12%; in Eastern Province at 17%, and 51% in Kigali. Explain how you will turn around this miserable situation in five years by 2024 while at the same time increasing electricity access to 100%. It is one thing to make noise about social economic development and quite another to deliver results.