MPs have raised concerns about unreliable supply in some areas and the impact of shortages on residents after hearing from Armand Zingiro, the state minister for infrastructure, told MPs on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Despite the reported progress in reducing water losses, MPs questioned water shortage.
MP Christine Mukabunani questioned how people could maintain hygiene without reliable access to water.
“We continue to urge people to maintain hygiene, but how can they do that without water?” she asked.
Zingiro said Kigali continued to face a gap between water demand and supply. He told MPs that the city required about 210,000 cubic metres of water daily, against a reported shortfall of approximately 70,000 cubic metres.
The government is pursuing projects to increase production, including interventions at Nzove and Kanzenze, alongside the planned Nyabarongo II project.
The measures, he said, form part of broader efforts to improve water supply and achieve universal access under the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2).
According to the Auditor General’s 2025 report, WASAC produced about 85.75 million cubic metres of water but billed customers for only 53.33 million cubic metres, equivalent to 62.2 per cent of production.
The Auditor General estimated the unbilled water was worth Rwf10.4 billion, calculated at the minimum tariff of Rwf323 per cubic metre.
The report warned that unbilled water deprived WASAC of revenue needed to support its operations and recommended that the utility develop strategies to minimise the losses.