Kigali is finally set to have a central sewerage system following an agreement between the Government and two multi-national lenders to finance the much awaited project.

The Government yesterday secured a Euro 45 million loan from European Investment Bank (EIB) and Euro 43 million from the African Development Bank to finance the project.

With the total cost of the development about EUR 96 million, the Government is expected to provide the additional EUR 8 million.

Officials from the Water and Sanitation Corporation say that construction is expected to start in the coming months having completed the designs and feasibility studies.

The project has been in the pipeline since 2013.

Many people feared that lack of such a system risked exposing Kigali to sanitation challenges in the future as has been the case with many cities across the world.

WASAC Chief Executive Officer Aime Muzola said that they are currently in the procurement process in readiness for the construction to commence.

WASAC is currently procuring a supervisory firm for the project before recruiting a contractor.

"So far, we have conducted all necessary studies, including the feasibility and environmental impact assessment. We have started procurement. We are currently procuring the supervisory company and later on we will start the process to recruit the contractor for the sewerage system and the network,”Muzola said.

The first phase is expected to take three years costing EUR 96million.

The first phase of the project will see the construct of a sewerage network covering the City Centre, Kiyovu and Muhima as well as a treatment plant to be located in Giti Kinyoni in Nyarugenge District.

It is still unclear how many households will be affected and expropriated in the course of the project implementation.

City Mayor Pascal Nyamulinda said that the Government will ascertain the exact cost to be incurred in expropriation after the resettlement action plan.

Muzola however noted that plans were at an advanced stage to conduct the resettlement action plan prior to the commencement of the project.

"We have already secured the land, where we are going to construct the waste treatment plant at Giti Kinyoni area and we plan to have experts on board to do the resettlement action plan. It is then that we will have the details of the cost and people to be affected in the expropriation process,” Muzola said.

The plant after the first phase will have a capacity of 12000M3.

The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete who signed the loans on behalf of the government said that the government’s contribution to the project will go into expropriation and compensation.

He said that the terms of the loan were favorable as it has a 2 per cent interest rate with a five year grace period.

"The EIB loan has a 2 per cent interest rate with a grace period of 5 years repayable within 25 years,” he said.

Maria Shaw-Barragan, Director of the European Investment Bank said that from the bank’s perspective, the project will further improve the city’s attractiveness to investors and residents.

"Construction of Kigali’s first wastewater network and treatment plant will improve health, reduce pollution and carbon emissions, as well as make Kigali an even better place to live and work. By ensuring that the project can cater for growing demand and a growing city this scheme sets a benchmark that other world cities are already following closely,” she said.

Experts say that continued development without a central sewerage system also had public health consequences such as increased risk of waterborne diseases and pollution in the Nyabarongo and Akagera rivers.

The plant, among other benefits, is expected to reduce construction costs especially since, with a central sewerage system in place, developers would not need to include sewerage management systems in their designs as these would be connected to the central network.

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