03
May

Families living in 3000 households of Zaza, Mutenderi, Kazo and Sake Sectors of Ngoma District  are celebrating their connection to the national grid as the lack of access to electricity was hindering their development. 

The Manager of Rwanda Energy Group branch in Ngoma District, Niyonkuru Benoît, said that these households were connected thanks to an electrification project funded by the Belgian Government as well as another project funded by Ngoma District.

He said that these two project have so far connected 3000 households in the last 3 months but that more households are still being connected and that the target is to have at least 5000 new connections by the end of this year. 

These citizens share their contentment of the positive change that electricity has made in the daily lives. 

Mugiraneza Jean Claude lives in Ruhinga Cell, Zaza Sector. He said that before being connected to the national grid, he was using “akatadowa”, the traditional kerosene lamp to get light during the night. Today, he just clicks on the wall and gets the light. 

“We were using traditional lamps or candles but now life has becom easier, we just click on the walls and get the light we need” he said, adding that with these traditional lamps, he was spending 2000 Frws per month on kerosene, but now he just spends 500Frws per month on electricity.  

Nzemeriryimana Lambert is a deacon at ADEPR church in Sake parish. He said that his church was using batteries and generators which were expensive to get electricity. “We once bought a battery at a cost of 180,000 Frws but it didn’t last long, it immediately deteriorated. We are very thankfull to God who used our Government to give us electricity. We are very happy” he said, adding that his church used to spend 2000Frws on fuel per month but now they only spend 250Frws. 

The same case applies also to Sangaza health center which was spending so much money to buy the fuel for the generator. Today, the health center is connected to the grid and doesn’t any more spend money on fuel.

REG branch in Ngoma District says that access to electricity in the District has increased from 46% last year to 52% today, including 32% connected to the grid and 20% using off-grid solutions.