Renewable energy firms will continue working with government to ensure the realisation of the country’s electricity targets, Monica Keza Tumwine, the BBOXX managing director, has said.

Tumwine was speaking at an event to celebrate the firm’s 25,000th client in Kayonza District, Eastern Province on Thursday.

She said the company is looking to expand solar power use in the country, especially in rural areas that are not connected to the national grid, to improve access to electricity by the masses. Rwanda targets to achieve 70 per cent power access by 2018.

Tumwine said solar energy is key to sustainable development and environment protection. She added that there need to help end use of kerosene lamps and candles in homes, saying they cause health challenges and costly fire accidents.

She said 1,000 people in Kayonza are so far using solar energy system from BBOXX. This is largely attributed to the flexible terms of acquiring solar systems where clients pay in installments over a period of three years.

Increasing access to electricity is one of the Kayonza’s priorities for 2016/17, with the district targeting 4,000 people to be connected to electricity, according to Consolee Uwibambe, the district mayor for finance and economic planning.

Uwibambe said access to power is crucial for the country to achieve its socio-economic development goals. She encouraged residents to use the solar systems to power their businesses and improve their living standards.

Celestin Nsabimana, the firm’s 25,000th client in the country, said since installing BBOXX solar electricity in his house, he is able to save the money he previously spent on kerosene and candles.

Nsabimana was rewarded with a Rwf254,000 TV set, plus an antenna.

Meanwhile, BBOXX paid medical insurance for 40 vulnerable families and gave five vulnerable families a goat each. The firm started operations in Rwanda in 2014.