KARONGI - A total of 660 families from Karongi, Rutsiro and Nyamasheke districts in the Western Province will get electricity by the end of the year, RECO-RWASCO, the power and water utility has revealed.

According to Emmanuel Kalimunda, branch manager of RECO-RWASCO in Karongi, the initiative is part of the Electricity Access Roll-out Program (EARP).

Four hundred beneficiaries are from Karongi and 260 from Nyamasheke. Our target includes bringing power to seven health centres, Kalimunda said yesterday during a consultative meeting between the beneficiaries and RECO-RWASCO.

Fred Ukwishaka, the head of EARP promised all the necessary support in order to fulfil the projections.
He explained that over $300 million had been earmarked to help raise the level of electricity coverage from 8% to 16% in the next four years.

"We intend to have more than half of all the schools in the country and sector offices connected. We are targeting close to 300,000 new clients,” he said.

Elias Kanyandekwe, one of the residents expected to benefit from the roll-out program, is optimistic that it will boost business and foster economic development in the region.

"When one has power, there is a wide range of productive businesses that can be carried out to improve the economic status of the local population,” he said.

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