"This is a good beginning of the year with the signing of a funding deal meant for the provision of sustainable water supply and sanitation.” These words were spoken by the Finance Minister James Musoni, at the inking of a four-year agreement worth over Frw5 billion between the government and the European Union, to finance a huge water and sanitation project. The said project is supposed to benefit about 400,000 residents of Nyamagabe, Huye, Nyaruguru and Gisagara.

To say that this is a great development is an understatement; this is huge, and just goes to show government’s commitment to lifting its citizens to  better living conditions. Reliable water supply in rural areas is mostly encumbered because of its dependence on the rains; if they default, then there is always an outcry as people and livestock suffer from the want of water.

Urban centres are the ones that usually benefit from such water and sanitation programmes because of their huge population figures. The fact that this time there is a comprehensive water project for the countryside brings many smiles to many, as this shows clearly that they have not been forgotten in the march to achieving the Vision 2020 and the Millennium Development Goals.

The European Union should also be thanked for the commitment to make Rwandans’ lives better by providing such huge amounts of money for this development. While the government is going to shoulder the greater financial burden to make this project stand on its feet, it is worth complimenting the EU member states, especially Austria and Belgium, that have been able to lend a helping hand.

As the government connects the Southern Province, it is worthwhile reminding Kigali City Council authorities to step up its activities in regard to a central sewerage treatment plant, as the city continues to grow by the day, and the population seems to be outstripping its services in this regard. More high-rise buildings without proper water disposal systems just compound the environmental headache that the public is suffering from the already existing infrastructure.
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