Residents living near telecommunication masts around the country should not worry about suffering from either radiation poisoning or noise pollution because the masts are up to the required standards, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, the Minister of Youth and ICT, has said.

The minister made the remarks in Parliament yesterday while responding to claims made by Joseph Ndabakenga, a resident of Gisagara District in the Southern Province.

Ndabakenga alleged that the generators that power the telecommunication masts located near his home were making a lot of noise throughout the day. He also complained that the electromagnetic waves produced by the masts were hazardous to his health.

Nsengimana said masts are placed in a manner that ensured that the radiation emitted would not be harmful to people.

"There are regulations regarding the positioning of antennas. The Rwanda Utility and Regulation Agency (RURA) tests all telecommunication equipment after being imported to assess if they meet the required standards,” he explained.

The minister added that there were international measures used to guarantee that the electromagnetic waves from the antenna remained harmless.

Regarding the noise from the generators powering the antennae, Nsengimana said replacing the generators with batteries had since addressed the problem.

Ndabakenga sued telecommunication firm MTN Rwanda, which then owned the antenna near his residence, for noise pollution. He was compensated Rwf3.5 million by the telecom company.

The New Times understands that Ndabakenga is now pursuing a case against the telecom company based on the issue of electromagnetic poisoning.

Francois Byabarumwanzi, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Unity, Human Rights and Fight against Genocide, said Parliament invited Nsengimana as a specialist in ICT to talk about the effects of the electromagnetic waves on human beings.

He added that Parliament would invite another ICT specialist to help people better understand the telecommunication equipment that surround them.

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