In a bid to improve service delivery,  the government targets to connect all health centres in the country with electricity by 2017.

This was revealed by the Minister of State in charge of Energy and Water, Emma Francoise Isumbingabo, during a visit to Gicumbi District on Sunday.

"We are working closely with development partners to ensure this is achieved,” she said.

 Isumbingabo was in the company of Health minister, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, and officials from the African Development Bank, one of the developing partners in the energy sector. The delegation toured Byumba and Kigogo health centres.

"We wanted to show the development partners that we have moved a step towards achieving sustainable energy for all and are now looking at having all Rwandans access energy by 2024,” she said.

Gicumbi district boasts of 23 health centres, four of which have no electricity.

Binagwaho said about 20 per cent of the health centres in the country have no electricity which affects quality health service delivery.

"Quality service delivery is affected when there is no power in health facilities, no blood bank can operate without a refrigerator, we want safe delivery for expectant mothers yet  even the most skilled health personnel cannot operate in darkness,” she said.

Glycerie Mukanyarwaya, the director of Kigogo Health Centre which has no electricity, told the delegation that work is difficult for them especially at night.

"We serve over 20,000 people at this health centre. Sadly, we cannot do blood analysis because of lack of power. We only take urine samples and do tests that do not require electricity. We offer 24 hour services but are constrained at night, especially in the maternity section,” she said.

 Alexandre Nvuyekure, the district mayor, said 11 out of 21 sectors in Gikumbi have no power. 

He, however, said they had embarked on a programme of electrifying eight sectors out the 11 this year, and called on the contractors to expedite the project.

The tour came at a time Kigali is hosting the 49th Annual meetings of the African Development Bank where sustainable energy for all is among the issues to be discussed.