05
Sep

Located in Kirehe District, the Nasho Solar Power Plant generates 3.3 megawatts of electricity, powering an irrigation scheme that covers 1,176 hectares and supports 2,099 cooperative members.
Beyond being a source of power, the plant has become a pillar of modern agriculture by supporting irrigation. Residents say their lives have greatly improved, as they now have enough food, educate their children, build decent houses, and take pride in their progress.

According to Ndagijimana Fabien, an Electrical Engineer in REG who manages the Nasho Solar Power Plant and oversees its daily operations, highlighted that the facility was established as a solution to the electricity shortage in the area. It provides sufficient power for irrigation, enabling farmers to increase their harvests. The plant uses solar energy to pump water from Nasho Lake and deliver it to farmland through machines powered by solar electricity. After irrigation, the surplus power produced is fed into the national grid and used for other purposes.

Before the project, residents reported living in severe hardship, “We were hungry, our children couldn’t go to school, and we were the poorest of the poor. But with irrigation, we now have enough food, our children are in schools, and I can even send them to board schools.” Kansangire Violette narrates

The project also helped families leave nyakatsi houses (grass-thatched huts). “We now build proper homes, pay health insurance, and some even buy vehicles from farming profits. Irrigation changed our lives,” Violette added

She testified that the development brought by solar-powered irrigation not only improved her livelihood but also allowed her to buy a car for family use.

On the side of the cooperative, its president, Christophe Rwisumbura, explained how irrigation transformed the community: “Before the project, this was a dry area. When irrigation came, we started producing enough food to feed our families and supply the markets. They also gave us solar energy to power the irrigation machines, ensuring our crops never dry out, whether during rainy seasons or when other power sources are unavailable.”

Paul Umuhire, REG’s Hub Manager in the Eastern Province, stated that electricity coverage in the province has reached 78.1%. Ongoing projects include upgrading single-phase lines to three-phase lines and building new substations in Kirehe and Nyagatare.

The project was supported by American philanthropist Howard Graham Buffett, who played a key role in making it a reality.

Click the link to look the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFQ3oLfn77I&t=7s