The National Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA), has set target TO connect at least 70 per cent of Rwandan homes to national electricity grid by 2017. The goal will be achieved by a number of projects underway.

The Director General of EWSA, Yves Muyange, says that utility expects to connect 100,000 households to the national electric grid annually to achieve the target. He also said that access to electricity increased from six percent of the population in 2008 to 16 % in 2012.

For Rwanda to achieve its vision of connecting half of the population to electricity within the next five years, current connection activities must be tripled. According to EWSA, the infrastructure and resources needed, are in place to ensure that the target is achieved.

Increasing access to electricity is among the government’s key priorities, considering the expansion of the electricity grid to be one of the engines of development. The government plans to invest US$4.7 billion to achieve its objective.

The Prime Minister, Pierre Damien Habumuremyi told parliament, in December 2012, that the government intends to engage the private sector through public-private partnership to ensure that Rwanda generates at least an additional 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

“Out of the 1,000MW, 320 MW will come from hydro power, 300 MW from methane gas, 310 MW from geothermal and 200 MW from peat energy sources,” the Prime Minister said.

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