More than 80 households displaced by the construction of the Rusumo hydropower plant in Kirehe District are set to relocate to a newly built model village, officials have said. The families were affected after blasting activities during construction damaged homes and other structures in the area. ALSO READ: Exploring Rusumo hydroelectric power plant The multi-million-dollar Rusumo project generates 80 megawatts of electricity, shared equally by Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi. Modeste Nzirabatinya, Vice Mayor of Kirehe District in charge of economic development, told The New Times that the affected families are expected to move into the new settlement as early as February. In March 2024, Members of Parliament gave a six-month deadline for the construction of replacement homes for households whose properties were damaged by the project. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the housing units for the 80 families come with essential amenities, including water, electricity, drainage systems, internal and connecting roads, cow sheds and an early childhood development centre. The model village is located near the Rwanda–Tanzania border, an area where many residents work and conduct daily activities. ALSO READ: Rusumo hydro project to help cut power tariffs come 2023 Rusumo Power Company Ltd, which was contracted to construct the plant, said blasting works carried out between 2018 and 2020 affected several structures in Rusumo village on both the Rwandan and Tanzanian sides. Throughout the construction period, the project maintained close engagement with surrounding communities, with support from local leaders. Technical assessments were commissioned to verify claims of damage caused by blasting. In Tanzania, about 540 structures were identified as affected, while on the Rwandan side, around 80 structures—including residential, commercial and small business premises—were impacted. Repair and reconstruction works are nearing completion, with some homeowners already occupying repaired houses. Local leaders from both countries continue to monitor progress in handing over completed structures. In Kirehe District, consultations with residents led to an agreement that affected households would receive newly built houses almost identical to their original homes through in-kind compensation within a new village. “The blasting shook the ground and destroyed many of our houses. Some became too dangerous to live in,” said Tharcisse Ndayambaje, a resident of Nyankurazo Cell in Kigarama Sector. “We reported the damage to the district, which worked with Rusumo project management to assess the situation. After confirming our homes were unfit for habitation, they decided to build this model village for us,” he added. The new settlement, which will accommodate 80 families, is equipped with clean water, electricity, a school, a health post and local administrative offices. Each housing unit is designed to accommodate two families. Cost and wider impact Anthony Shumbusho, Environmental Compliance Inspector at the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme Coordination Unit (NELSAP-CU), said in March 2025 that a multi-agency committee was formed to fast-track the housing project following claims from affected residents. “The committee, comprising the Rwanda Housing Authority, Kirehe District, the Police and other stakeholders, assessed each reported case and identified homes that required relocation,” he said. “As a result, 80 households will receive new homes, while 14 others who own land elsewhere will have houses constructed on their own plots,” Shumbusho added. He said at least $4.2 million was allocated for the construction of the houses and associated infrastructure. “The project faced slight delays as the district reviewed the master plan. The houses also include annexes,” he said, noting that the model village is fully connected to electricity. Beyond housing, the Rusumo project has supported the construction of health centres, water supply systems, markets and roads across Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi. On the Rwandan side, this includes rehabilitation of 30 kilometres of feeder roads in Kirehe District, construction of 28.7 kilometres of roads in Ngoma District, water pipelines supplying more than 10,500 people in Gatonde and Gahima cells, a 33-kilometre Gituku–Murama water supply system, and 9.54 kilometres of the Kigabiro–Rurenge–Gatore feeder road, among other developments.
