BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Minister of Infrastructure Linda Bihire yesterday assured employees of Electrogaz, the national monopoly charged with suppling water and electricity that none will lose their jobs as a result of restructuring that the parastatal is set to undergo operational restructuring soon.
Bihire who was touring Electrogaz installations in Kigali city said that the utility corporation was among the most efficient under government control and that it was set to be divided into two separate bodies, one in charge of water and the other electricity services. She told the employees that the restructuring is meant to increase the efficiency of Electrogaz and its employees should not worry about losing their jobs. The corporation employees over 1600 workers.
She appealed to Electrogaz to increase access to water resources in the country and as if to underline the importance of water she said that investors are set to begin a tile factory in Nyagatare instead of staring it in other parts of the country where there were more raw materials for tile manufacturing. "Electricity and water services are very crucial to the development programmes and they decide where important projects are located."
"Because Nygatare is close to an important water resource the investors have decided to start their factory in this area, yet it would be more meaningful for it-the factory-to be established in areas like Ruhengeri where there are more stones needed in the manufacture of tiles," said Bihire.
John Mirenge the Managing Director of Electrogaz along with its board chairman Chrisologue Karangwa toured the minister around the installations. Mirenge said that his organization had undergone tremendous growth in the past three years increasing water production by 18 percent and electricity by 10 percent. He promised that when the Nyabarongo water project is completed in March most of Kigali's water problems will be solved. He added that with the completion of several mini hydro electricity projects currently underway, even access to electricity will significantly increase. Mirenge said among the medium term electricity interventions include a 20 mega watts project, heavy fuel and the extraction of methane gas in Lake Kivu.
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