Residents of Busanza and Karama villages in Kanombe sector, Kicukiro district in Kigali, have raised their concern over extreme shortage of water in their locality.

Their area being in the city notwithstanding, the residents lamented that the lack of potable water leads them to poor hygiene, especially for some families that are not able to afford buying the essential liquid from vendors.

According to the residents, this issue has lasted for long time, especially as it recurs during the sunny season, and it is the biggest challenge in their daily lives.

The residents narrated to Rwanda Today how they purchase water from shops just like fuel or other commodities.

Five months without water

Aline Umutoni, a resident of Busanza, said they have been affected by the persistent water shortage in the area.

“We sometimes hear about other people in Kigali complaining that they don’t have water for one or two days only, but in this region we can go for five months or more without water in the public taps,” Ms Umutoni said.

She added: “Every time someone needs water, they buy it from vendors who fetch it from neighbouring villages.

“We also have many water kiosks in our shopping centre but it is very expensive since a 20-litre jerrycan of water costs between Rwf200 and Rwf300, depending on the time you need it.”

Ms Umutoni’s concern is shared by most of the residents from Kanombe sector, who say that people who dwell in the outskirts of Kigali are not considered when distributing water to different parts of city.

“Those who are in charge of distributing water in Kigali maybe do not think that there are other people who are suffering outside the city centre and they only look at where rich people live,” John Bosco Habimana, a resident of Karama, lamented.

“We always face the problem of lack of hygiene in some families that are not able to afford water as it is very expensive. Also, some students go to school without having a bath or in dirty clothes as the result of water shortage.”

According to Eric Mateso, one of the water vendors in Busanza’s villages, pushing a bicycle carrying five jerrycans of water over a distance of at least five kilometres is hard work.

“We get the water at Rwf50 but sell it at Rfw200 in the villages since we use a lot of energy to ferry it from neighbouring villages,” Mr Mateso said.

Shortage of water, especially in Kigali city, is attributed to increasing population as a result of rural-urban migration which has stretched the government’s capacity to produce and supply adequate clean water to residents.

However, James Sano, the chief executive of Water and Sanitation Corporation (Wasac), told Rwanda Today that the government is addressing the water shortage by initiating projects which will be complete in a few years.

READ: WASAC seeks new sources of water as shortage bites

Water in two years
He assured Rwandans that there will be adequate water throughout the country in two years.

“At the moment, there is no adequate water supply in the country, but in the next two years this will have been solved because the new projects we have today will have been completed,” said Mr Sano.

However, Rwandans, especially urban dwellers, will continue to experience water shortages and increased rationing for now.

Currently, Wasac produces 65,000 cubic metres of water per day and it is projected that the amount will increase to 90,000 cubic metres by the end of the year.