Construction of the first Kigali Sanitation and Central Sewerage System will begin in June 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure has disclosed. 

Juvenal Mukurarinda, an engineer at the ministry, told The New Times on Friday that necessary studies have been conducted, including the feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment.

The project is scheduled to be carried out in four years with the completion date set for 2022.

The central sewer is expected to address threats to public health, partly caused by untreated dirt seeping into water systems.

"The first phase of the project is at the stage of procurement process where the contract for supervision of works for the project was signed in December 2018.

"The evaluation of the prequalification for works is ongoing and the project will kick off June 2019. The project will be completed by June 2022.”

The Government mid last year secured a €96 million loan (approximately 98bn) for putting in place the first ever Kigali Sanitation and Central Sewerage System, funds that would come from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

READ ALSO: Govt secures Rwf98 billion for Kigali central sewerage

Breaking down the cost, the Minister for Infrastructure, Claver Gatete, told parliament in May that the project will be funded with €45m from the IEB, €43m from the AfDB, and an additional €8m from the Government.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Government has an ambitious target to reach 100 per cent universal access to sanitation services by 2024.

The Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) Ltd, an agency affiliated to the Ministry of Infrastructure, will implement the project on behalf of the Government.

Improve health, reduce pollution

Mukurarinda said construction of Kigali’s first wastewater network and treatment plant will improve health, reduce pollution and carbon emissions, as well as make Kigali an even better place to live and work.

He explained that the project components are to construct sewer network (tertiary, secondary and primary sewer networks) of 89 kilometre and wastewater treatment plant at the Gitikinyoni area, in Nyarugenge District.

The first phase of the project, he said, will cover the Central Business District (CBD), Muhima and Kiyovu. The wastewater treatment plant will have the capacity to treat liquid wastes at 12,000 cubic metres per day.

Among other envisaged positives is that once a central sewerage system is in place, developers will not need to include sewerage management systems in their designs as these would be connected to the central network.

New buildings must have a mini sewerage treatment plant.

Presently, city dwellers continue to contend with constructing their own septic tanks or mini waste treatment plants, a costly venture.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw