A water crisis in several parts of Kigali and beyond has prompted a public apology from the Water and Sanitation Corporation Authority (WASAC).
For weeks, residents of various neighborhoods have watched their taps run dry, forcing families to ration what little water they can find.
The hardest-hit areas include Kanombe, Ndera, Nyarugunga, Busanza, Kabeza, Rubirizi, Karama, and neighbouring sectors of Runda and Rugalika in Kamonyi District.
In Kabeza, Kicukiro District, for example, resident Jean Claude Mugisha has experienced the shortage firsthand.
"Water shortage has been persistent and we spend some days without water," he says.
"This affects us as we need water for our daily lives, as a result we are forced to buy water at Rwf500 a jerrycan and it is getting too much for us."
WASAC's Apology
In a press release issued Friday, August 21, WASAC Group formally apologised to customers experiencing what it called inadequate water supply "in different parts of the country, particularly during this dry season."
The utility said it is pursuing short-term fixes at the Kanzenze and Nzove treatment plants, which it expects to add 10,000 cubic metres of daily supply within two weeks — improvements it says should ease rationing schedules in Kanombe, Ndera, Nyarugunga, Busanza, Kabeza, Rubirizi, Karama, Runda and Rugalika.
Longer term, WASAC listed two major expansion projects: an upgrade to Nzove that would lift its output from 86,000 to 111,000 cubic metres per day, and an expansion of the Karenge plant in Rwamagana District.
The company pledged to implement rationing "transparently and fairly" and urged residents not to draw water from wetlands, rivers, or other unprotected sources due to health risks, recommending instead that households acquire storage tanks to bridge dry periods.
"WASAC Group sincerely apologises to all customers who are not receiving adequate water supply as expected and kindly asks for their continued patience and understanding," the statement read.
RURA hints at what went wrong
Hussein Bizimana, Head of the Regulation Water and Sanitation Department at the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), are as a result of production challenges currently affecting a supply partnership between WASAC and Kigali Water Ltd, a private bulk water producer.
Under its licence, Kigali Water Ltd is contracted to pump 40,000 cubic metres of treated water into WASAC's system daily — 30,000 cubic metres destined for Kigali and 10,000 for Bugesera District.
That volume is metered at the point of delivery, forming the basis of WASAC's payments to the company for operational costs, while the government covers capital infrastructure costs through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN).
But production has fallen sharply short of that obligation. Bizimana said the plant, which should be producing 40,000 Cubic meters a day only produces 28,000 cubic metres.
The consequences ripple directly into daily life for residents of Kanombe, Kicukiro, Gahanga, Karembure and Rubirizi, all of which depend heavily on Kigali Water Ltd's output. When that plant underperforms, Bizimana said, those neighborhoods feel it immediately.
"We are working together with them because we are in this crisis in different areas of the city, we don't have water," Bizimana said, describing RURA's coordination with both companies.
"We are working with Kigali Water and WASAC to see how we can help them improve their production. So, there are some pumps that have been provided to them by WASAC so that they can put them directly into the river. That's what we call direct intake,” he said.
"We are relying a lot on their water when it comes to some areas," he added.
RURA says it is now working alongside WASAC and Kigali Water Ltd to close the gap.
Citywide, the numbers paint a stark picture: Nzove Water Treatment Plant produces between 85,000 and 100,000 cubic metres daily, and total production sits around 145,000 cubic metres. This is against a daily demand of 210,000 cubic metres.
"We are producing less than 60 percent of what we need," he said.
A global effect of climate change
Kigali Water Ltd, which operates the Kanzenze Bulk Water Treatment Plant in Bugesera under a 25-year public-private partnership signed with the government in 2021, says it currently supplies about 25 percent of Kigali's demand through a shared network with WASAC's own plants, including Kimisagara and Nzove.
Tony Ahmed, Kigali Water Ltd General Manager pointed to a broader, global pattern behind the shortfall.
Despite the strain, Ahmed was firm about the company's ambition to keep expanding output.
"We think we need to produce more and more, and this is exactly what we are talking about with the government, to increase the current production and even add any other plant in the future," he said.