KIGALI - The Government this week unveiled a plan to supply power to more than 261 health centres.

The Euro 36.5m (about Frw27.4b) project was presented before development partners this week. Most of the targeted health centres are based in rural areas.

"The sector prioritisation for partner support is a grateful act which gives us courage,” said Dick de Clercq, the First Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Kigali.

Health Minister Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo explained that the plan involves construction and rehabilitation of power supply infrastructure and other modifications on the existing ones.

Ntawukuriryayo predicted: "If all goes well, the plan will allow us to respond to specific energy needs of different medicals centres.”

He said that 40 percent of the ministry’s energy systems were working well. The minister called for coordination between all stockholders.

"This will help us in training, follow-up, standards and quality setting with involvement of private sector in installation and maintenance of energy supply systems,” he explained. He thanked USAID, the Global Fund, GTZ, BTC, and PAPFER for supporting the programme.

The State Minister in charge of Energy, Eng. Albert Butare, said that the Government has taken a series of options to overcome power shortages in the country.

He pointed out some of the efforts being the extraction of methane gas, putting in place required infrastructure of more hydro-electric power generation, biogas, solar energy, and plans to generate power from wind.

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