KAYANZA January 9th (ABP) – The Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines, Mr. Ibrahim Uwizeye, proceeded on Friday, in the headquarters of Kayanza province (north), to the presentation of the achievements made for the first half of the 2022-2023 budget year. He was in the company of his assistant and the directors general of his ministry, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
During that presentation, Minister Uwizeye spoke about the development of the Ruzibazi hydroelectric power station which will provide 15 megawatts and the monitoring of the construction works of the three classrooms where the works today reach 80%. Concerning the construction works of the Jiji and Murembwe hydroelectric power stations, he indicated that the overall rate of hydroelectric developments is at 59.37%.
As for the development works of the regional hydroelectric power station of Rusumo Falls, which will provide 27 megawatts, the minister responsible for hydraulics specified that the civil engineering works reach 99.2%. According to him, the construction work of the Ruzizi 3 hydroelectric power plant which will give 206 megawatts shared between Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda, will begin very soon. He also reported that various centers of the country have been electrified and that the related works have been carried out at 100% while other centers, schools and health centers are being electrified.
He added that there was a relaunch of the file relating to the call for applications for the rehabilitation of solar systems, including eight health centers and eight communal high schools. On the project of the National Peat Authority (ONATOUR), they are experimenting on the production of five tons of peat-based fertilizers.
As for the fuel supply, Minister Uwizeye testified that there is daily monitoring of the supply circuit and the consumption of petroleum products as well as the monitoring of the calibration at the level of the pumps of service stations. In the drinking water and basic sanitation sector, there were 2,576 new subscribers connected. There was also the reception of a team from the African Development Bank for the preparation of the drinking water supply project for the provinces of Bubanza, Cibitoke, Rutana and Ruyigi, he continued to say.
During the past six months, the ministry in charge of energy has also built wastewater treatment and treatment sites respectively in Mpanda and Ruyigi communes of Bubanza and Ruyigi provinces. Additionally, the same ministry has constructed and rehabilitated latrine blocks across different corners of the country. In the mining sector, Mr. Uwizeye said that there was monitoring of artisanal mining and gold production activities on a win-win basis and that 50,350.22 grams of gold produced been registered.
It is worthy to note that on the sidelines of that presentation of the half-yearly achievements, the Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines, in the company of his team, collected the grievances of the people, heads of provincial services and administrative officials of Kayanza province. The grievances submitted to it largely concerned reviewing the quality of their services in the supply of drinking water, in the supply of electrical equipment and water as well as in billing. Faced with all those complaints, he promised to look into them so that there are no more complaints from customers.