In July 2014, the Government announced a raft of measures designed to prevent fire incidents that had become a regular occurrence at the time. Some of the measures rolled out included requirements for all public building to install a fire alarm system with an alarm bell on each floor, smoke detectors and sprinklers on each floor, a fire extinguisher every 50 metres on each floor, hose reels on each floor, closed circuit television cameras and a control room, and a lightning arrester or rod. The Prime Minister’s instructions also covered electrical installations in public and residential buildings and introduced inspections every three years. At the time, fire safety was a serious concern with businesses in the City of Kigali and beyond continuously losing billions in charred merchandise and other properties. Incidents of fire outbreaks have since subsided but the threat alive, with a fire wreaking havoc every now and then. However, more than six years after authorities took stern measures to promote fire safety there are still loopholes that the same instructions had sought to fix. One of them is the continued use of unqualified practitioners in installation of electricity in buildings, despite the practice being declared illegal in 2012 when relevant national regulations were first adopted. It is indeed telling that it is only now that the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority is moving to enforce this legal instrument – eight years late! While compliance and enforcement of the law was always going to be work-in-progress the regulator should have swung into action as soon as the guiding framework came into force to prevent fires linked to faulty electrical installations. Similarly, inspections and other measures adopted to help prevent fire incidents and associated costs should be conducted as stipulated in the law. Only consistent education and enforcement will deliver the desired results.
