By David Himbara
General Paul Kagame keeps making and breaking bombastic promises about the availability of electricity in Rwanda. Kagame has changed his electricity story at least three times in the last six years.
In 2013, Kagame made extraordinary electricity promises to the people of Rwanda as follows:
- By 2017, 70% of Rwandans would have access to electricity.
- By 2017, out of the 1,000MW produced, 320 MW would come from hydropower, 300 MW from methane gas, 310 MW from geothermal and 200 MW from peat energy sources.
- Kagame was to invest US$4.7 billion to achieve these objectives.
Then in 2016, Kagame made the following bombastic promises:
- By 2018, 70% of Rwandans were to have access to electricity.
- By 2020, 100% of Rwandans were to have access to electricity.
What is the electricity situation today in May 2019?
Rwanda has 221 Megawatts and 51% of Rwandans are said to have access to electricity. Kagame has now changed his tune as follows:
- Rwanda will have 556 Megawatts by 2024.
- 100% of Rwandans will have access to electricity by 2024.
Why does this man feel obligated to lie, and lie, and lie? Your guess is as good as mine.
