Senators have resolved to summon the Minister for Infrastructure to explain why plans to reduce use of firewood in public schools by switching to biogas have not been fully implemented.The resolution was made last week after the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Development presented a report on the implementation of critical development programmes, including energy distribution.Sen. Prof. Chrysologue Karangwa wondered whether high cost of construction of biogas digesters could be hindering the programme.“There could be need for support because even those earlier installed are not maintained and are rundown,” Karangwa said.In June, two separate teams of the committee concluded a tour that took them to at least two districts in every province.Perrine Mukankusi, the chairperson of the committee, said their findings indicate that a six-cubic metre biogas digester costs Rwf810,000. Up to Rwf310,000 is provided by the government, while Rwf300,000 is raised through a BPR loan, and the balance is the beneficiary’s own contribution.“The committee found that the use of biogas is still low yet in places where it is used, the benefits are many,” said Mukankusi.The 10th national leaders’ retreat decided that the central bank and the Ministries of Infrastructure, Local Government, and Finance supervise how BPR facilitates poor rural folk to establish biogas plants.The initial plan was that every sector gets at least two digesters, every year. This, Mukankusi said, necessitates that the number of technicians is increased to reduce the installation cost to about Rwf680,000.Among the visited districts, only five households out of over 7,000, in Nyarugenge sectors of Kanyinya and Kigali, have biogas facilities. Out of 10,000 households of Gahanga and Masaka sectors of Kicukiro District, only eight have the facilities.Nyagatare Rwempasha and Gatunda sectors, Nyagatare District, with a combined population of 11,405 households, have 32 biogas installations. In Nyabihu District, Kabatwa Sector, with 31,944 households, has only one biogas digester.“In the sectors visited, this type of energy [biogas and solar] is not used due to reasons such as the fact that constructing digesters is expensive in relation to people’s financial ability,” Mukankusi said. The government targets to increase the number of people who access electricity to 70 per cent from the current 16 per cent countrywide.Sen. Marie Claire Mukasine, a former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, said biogas, as earlier envisaged by government, was supposed to be rolled out in all public schools and the fact that this has not happened raises concerns.
