Editor,

I’m pleased that the $500m CEPGL power project has been given the go-ahead by all the stakeholders. The countries under the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries have agreed, with the help of development partners, to embark on the implementation phase of the Rusizi III Hydropower plant which will add 145MW on the power grid network of the three member states.

The three member countries, Rwanda, DRC and Burundi, have a lot to gain from this project.

For a country to develop, it needs to be able to power itself. In Rwanda, rural electrification is an urgent priority because the vast majority of our citizens live in these rural areas. When they are able to access electricity which they can afford then we shall witness a revolution of sorts.

They shall be able to refrigerate their milk, be able to play their radios without having to buy expensive batteries and enjoy other modern amenities that we, in the urban centers, take for granted.

But these additional megawatts of electricity won’t only be advantageous to the people in the rural parts of this country; even we, in the cities and towns, will enjoy cheaper electricity. And power cuts will be a thing of the past.

However, this project isn’t just a boon to our economy. This tri-national project will help foster even better relations between the three CEPGL nations.

Because we will be working on a project that will benefit all our people, our countries shall have a lot more in common.

When there is mutual dependency, conflict becomes a thing of the past. These are among the many reasons that this project should be lauded. I wish the project the very best.

Sam Rwego
Kimihurura