Rwanda Energy Group (REG) Chief Executive Officer Maximilien Byilingiro on Thursday, September 10, appeared before the Senate Committee on Economy and Finance, where senators raised concerns over frequent power interruptions and the quality of electricity supplied to consumers. ALSO READ: RURA assessing issue of power cuts The lawmakers told him they had received complaints about unreliable electricity from institutions and other consumers. Committee chairperson Fulgence Nsengiyumva said the committee had visited schools, health facilities and other electricity users and found concerns over both reliability and quality of supply. “Although electricity access had reached 84 per cent by 2024, people have continued to report challenges with the supply. They are concerned that frequent interruptions and fluctuations could damage their equipment,” Nsengiyumva said. In response, Byilingiro said some outages are unavoidable during network upgrades because sections of the system have to be switched off while work is carried out. “When we upgrade electricity lines, we have to switch off some sections so that the upgrading work can be carried out. We are therefore improving network configurations to create alternative supply routes, allowing consumers to be supplied through another channel while their usual line is being upgraded,” he said. ALSO READ: Regional grid challenges 'causing power cuts in Rwanda' He noted that the approach is already being implemented in some areas, including Gahanga, Nzove and Gikondo, where substations and supply networks are being expanded to increase capacity and provide additional connection options. For instance, Byilingiro said some consumers in Gikondo who were connected to a supply channel undergoing upgrades were reconfigured to receive electricity through Gahanga and Nzove. ALSO READ: Power outage alert for Kigali, Western Province REG currently has an installed generation capacity of 472.9MW, against a 615MW target under the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2). Renewable energy accounts for 56 per cent of the installed capacity, with a target of 60 per cent by 2029. On electricity access, Byilingiro said the national rate had reached 88.3 per cent, comprising 63 per cent through the national grid and 25 per cent through off-grid solutions. He also pointed out that REG is improving communication with consumers to ensure they are informed about planned power interruptions. “We are also improving communication so that people are informed whenever there is going to be a planned power outage,” he said.
