Kigali residents will have to wait a little longer for the much-needed sewage system, as funds for the projects are yet to be sourced.

Rwanda faces a huge funding deficit in its bid to implement a plan to fix its expanding capital city’s sewage management issues, sending concerned institutions to engage interested partners.

According to the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), the feasibility studies, which are a pre-condition for fund mobilisation are ongoing and could be completed soon.

However, given the huge investment needed, the implementation would be done in phases.

“What we are doing is sustainable to start the implementation of the projects,” said James Sano, chief executive officer of WASAC, adding that it would take some years for the project to be operational.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the three major projects lined-up to fix the sewage system include setting up the centralised sewerage system in Kigali’s central business district with a possibility of expansion to other densely inhabited suburbs, and the faecal sludge treatment plant for wastes exhausted from decentralised sewage systems. There is also the rehabilitation and upgrade of semi-centralised sewerage systems in the Kigali estates.

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Although the details regarding the timelines and the exact cost for the projects are yet to be known, government estimates that the first phase would cost over Rwf56 billion.

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This would consist of construction of a central sewage system, connecting buildings in Rugunga, Kiyovu, Muhima and Gitega to a sewage treatment plant to be installed at Giticyinyoni.

The funding, according to WASAC, is expected from development partners.

“What is remaining is to finalise the studies so that the European Investment Bank (EIB) [which is financing the studies] can fund at least 50 per cent of the project and then we look for other development partners,” said Mr Sano.

Currently, only huge complexes and a few structures in Kigali are equipped with the sewage disposal facilities, having channelled all their sewage into septic tanks that are emptied when full, at a cost.

If funding and implementation of the sewage system starts in the next fiscal year the project will be operational in two and a half years. However, city’s rapid expansion translating into huge waste generation, rampant informal settlements as well as use of pit latrines constitutes a challenge to the smooth running of the project.

Government said the project would go hand in hand with the implementation of the master plan, to ensure sustainability since the sewage system has to connect to densely inhabited areas.