The government plans to more than triple its air quality monitoring network by the end of 2026, with 55 stations expected to be operating across the country as authorities seek better data to tackle air pollution. The expansion, from 16 monitoring stations at the beginning of 2025, is intended to ensure every district has sensors capable of providing information on the quality of air residents breathe. Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), said expanding the network would give authorities stronger evidence to guide decisions on pollution control and public health. ALSO READ: New report names top air pollutants in Kigali “The more we have air monitoring sensors, the more information we have about air quality status to take policy actions to improve the air we breathe,” Kabera said. She said every district should have air quality sensors. Authorities have also established dashboards in different cities and towns to allow real-time monitoring of air quality. The nationwide expansion comes as African cities increasingly confront air pollution as a major urban health challenge. Representatives from 13 African cities are meeting in Kigali from September 15 to 17 to discuss public health challenges ranging from air pollution and extreme heat to road injuries, tobacco use and unhealthy food environments. The participating cities include Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Freetown, Harare, Kampala, Kigali, Kumasi, Lusaka, Nairobi and Ouagadougou. Representatives of the World Health Organisation are also attending. Kigali monitoring pollution hotspots While the national monitoring network is being expanded, Kigali is undertaking more detailed assessments to establish how pollution varies across different parts of the city. ALSO READ: Air pollution levels in Kigali dropped 45% during UCI week - REMA The initiative is being implemented with the University of Rwanda and support from the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a global network of more than 70 cities working to prevent non-communicable diseases and injuries. Air quality is being assessed along high-traffic roads, around schools and residential areas, in car-free zones and during Car-Free Days. The aim is to establish where exposure to pollution is highest and determine whether measures already being implemented are improving air quality. “We are looking at the quality of air in different locations of the city, including car-free zones, car-free days, high-traffic roads, school zones and residential areas, to know exactly the quality of air we are breathing,” said Joseph Ngamije, Deputy Director for Africa at the Partnership for Healthy Cities. Ngamije said the assessment is expected to take between three and six months before findings become available. Once the data is collected, he said, authorities will be better placed to design targeted interventions. “If we see that schoolchildren are exposed to polluted air, we need to take action because children are being exposed to air pollution. That is where policy actually comes from — from data,” he said. He pointed to Kigali’s Car-Free Day as an example of an intervention that encourages physical exercise while reducing vehicle traffic and emissions. Ngamije said other African cities were interested in learning from Kigali’s experience. Why monitoring matters Public health officials say expanding monitoring is important because air pollution often goes unnoticed even when exposure levels are harmful. ALSO READ: 80 percent of vehicles emit greenhouse gas Dr Alex Ndyabakira of Uganda’s Kampala Capital City Authority described air pollution as a “silent killer”, saying its effects can begin before birth when pregnant women are exposed to polluted air. “You can never see air pollution. Clear, clean air that does not smell can actually be the most polluted air,” he said. Ndyabakira said monitoring networks allow cities to measure pollution levels and identify areas where intervention is required. He also urged authorities to make air quality information available to residents. Unlike water, he said, people cannot choose to buy a separate supply of clean air, meaning pollution affects everyone regardless of income, age or social status. He said measures to reduce pollution should include greater use of cleaner cooking fuels such as gas and electricity, a shift towards electric vehicles and improvements to roads to reduce congestion. “Most pollution in cities comes from the transport sector, with everyone using cars, motorcycles or other forms of transport,” he said. Ndyabakira also called for greater urban greening, saying vegetation can help absorb some pollutants. Link to non-communicable diseases Alphonse Mbarushimana, Executive Director and co-founder of the Rwanda NCD Alliance, said air pollution contributes to the burden of non-communicable diseases. ALSO READ: Air quality: Govt introduces changes in vehicle emissions testing He said 57.7 per cent of deaths recorded in health facilities are caused by non-communicable diseases. Polluted air, he added, contributes to chronic respiratory illnesses including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ariella Rojhani, Director of the Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies, said cities are increasingly looking for ways to translate health policies into measures that directly improve people's daily lives. She cited Kigali's Car-Free Day programme as one such intervention. “We know that vehicles are a leading source of emissions and poor air quality in cities,” Rojhani said. “Cities are where people live, work, play and spend the majority of their time. People have a right to live in healthy environments.” For Rwanda, the planned expansion to 55 monitoring stations is expected to provide a much broader picture of pollution levels beyond Kigali. With sensors expected in every district, authorities say the expanded network will provide the evidence needed to identify pollution hotspots, track trends and shape interventions aimed at improving air quality nationwide.
