KIGALI - Over 20 member states under the African Water Association (AfWA) are meeting in Kigali to discuss, among others, the challenges in supplying clean water to the population.

AfWA, which brings together agencies in charge of water, sanitation and environment among member countries, chose Rwanda to host the meeting owing to her success in the sector.

 "Rwanda has achieved a lot in supplying clean water to her citizens. We hope to learn from her success story, as much as other country representatives will share their experiences,” explained Eng. Silver Mugisha, one of the key speakers from Uganda.

The bodies will also discuss ways of enhancing technology and professionalism in services delivered to customers.

Opening the two day meeting, the Minister of State for Energy and Water, Eng Coletha Ruhamya, noted that it was vital for Africa to resolve its problems by employing collective home-grown measures.

"African water and sanitation service providers face similar challenges, ranging from losses resulting from inefficient operation and management, to limited funding to invest in new projects,” she said.

"It is through AfWA and such conferences that we can all meet and find solutions through peer learning and benchmarking.”

The head of Energy, Water and Sanitation Agency (EWSA), Yves Muyange,  hailed AfWA for its continued support, including a recent 1 million Euro project to boost water supply in Rwandan rural areas.

"Rwanda benefits from AfWA in many ways, including the funding for developing a sub utility, in Rubavu District. It will increase supply of water in rural areas- one of the main challenges that we still face,” he said.

Muyange noted that Rwanda intends to provide safe water to the entire population, within the next five years. Currently, at least 75 percent of the population have access to clean water.

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