Part One of many Muvumba Multipurpose Dam Venture has reached 61.5 per cent completion, with the Rwanda Water Sources Board (RWB) implementing a catch-up plan to get better delays and full the works subsequent yr.
The primary part covers building of the dam, set up of a hydropower plant, and preparatory research for future water provide and irrigation infrastructure.
Officers supplied the replace on Tuesday, June 30, whereas showing earlier than Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer points raised within the Auditor Normal's report, together with delays in challenge implementation.
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RWB Director Normal Emmanuel Rukundo acknowledged that the challenge is delayed however mentioned measures are underway to speed up implementation.
“We needs to be standing at 68 per cent execution by now, however we’re implementing a catch-up plan to shut the hole throughout this yr by rising working hours, the variety of employees and tools on web site,” Rukundo informed lawmakers.
He added that the challenge has additionally made progress in enhancing the utilisation of funds after earlier setbacks.
In line with Rukundo, the challenge's mortgage initially exceeded the worth of the development contract, leaving about €32 million uncommitted and leading to a low disbursement price.
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RWB later engaged the African Improvement Financial institution (AfDB) to reallocate the unused funds to different challenge elements, together with expropriation and irrigation.
“The discussions took longer than anticipated as a result of they required the financial institution's board approval. Throughout that interval, we carried out preparatory actions equivalent to property valuation for expropriation, however the delayed approval affected the challenge's disbursement price,” he mentioned.
The disbursement price has since improved from 12.3 per cent in 2021 to 31.38 per cent, he added.
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Rukundo additionally informed MPs that the challenge's mid-term overview was authorised on Could 19, permitting the reallocation of funds to precedence actions.
The Auditor Normal's report additionally highlighted tax fee irregularities amounting to Rwf7.6 billion.
Responding to the findings, Rukundo mentioned the difficulty had been resolved.
“Minecofin cleared the tax arrears within the 2025/2026 monetary yr and has dedicated an additional Rwf7.4 billion within the 2026/2027 finances to allow us to finish the dam challenge,” he mentioned.
Design modifications delayed implementation
Rukundo attributed the delays to main design revisions, prolonged procurement procedures and financing processes.
He mentioned the dam's top was elevated from 30 metres to 39 metres, whereas the deliberate irrigation protection was expanded from 6,000 hectares to 10,000 hectares, necessitating further research and design changes.
He additionally famous that procurement took longer than anticipated as a result of every stage required approval from the challenge's financier.
“We later diminished the implementation interval from 57 months to 42 months to minimise additional delays. Along with the contractor and the financier, we agreed on a revised implementation programme that may enable us to make one of the best use of the remaining time,” he mentioned.
Richard Nyirishema, Govt Chairperson of RWB, informed MPs that the challenge was deliberately designed to be carried out in phases.
He mentioned the present part focuses on developing the dam and hydropower amenities, whereas the irrigation and water provide elements are being financed individually.
In line with Nyirishema, funding has already been secured for about one-third of the deliberate 10,000 hectares of irrigation, with implementation anticipated to start earlier than the tip of the yr.
He added that feasibility research for the water provide element have been accomplished, whereas WASAC and NAEB are mobilising financing for implementation.
Expropriation hurdles
Throughout the listening to, MP Barthélémy Karinijabo questioned compensation funds made to some property homeowners whose data lacked signatures.
Rukundo mentioned the challenge had encountered important challenges as a result of many affected residents didn’t have land titles.
“About 90 per cent of the individuals to be expropriated had no land titles. We labored with the districts to make sure they obtained land titles earlier than compensation could possibly be processed,” he mentioned.
On June 25, the Chamber of Deputies authorised two draft legal guidelines ratifying further financing agreements between Rwanda and the African Improvement Financial institution for the Built-in Muvumba Water Sources Improvement Programme.
The agreements, signed in Kigali on Could 12, 2026, present an extra mortgage of 15.15 million Models of Account (UA) and €27.74 million to help the challenge.
