Wasteful expenditure and poor project management is limiting access to water and electricity according to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee.

Rwanda Energy Group (REG) and Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC)were among the parastatals to appear before the committee to explain misused funds and resources as captured by the Auditor General’s latest report.

In an interview with Rwanda Today, Valens Muhakwa, the chair of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, said the issues faced by REG revolve around reckless spending and poor project management, both of which appear in the committee’s redlist every year. He said the committee was not satisfied with explanations given by REG to excuse their lack of satisfactory service provision.

Aged infrastructure, rationing

“We can only hope that the goal can be reached in two years, and I recommend that REG take it forward for such an important institution, must be willing to get things done and rectify past mistakes,” Muhakwa said.

Regarding WASAC, he said that in addition to poor planning, the institution lacks the right mindset to change. While non-revenue water or wasted water has steadily increased from Rwf6 billion in 2019 to Rwf9 billion in 2021, some residents of Kigali city and other urban areas continue to experience constant water outages that would go on for weeks during dry seasons.

WASAC officials blamed the recurrent issue on aged water infrastructure and rationing among Kigali neighborhoods. During the hearings, both REG and WASAC pledged that in two years, electricity and clean water would be fully accessible by the 12.9 million population from the current 73 percent electricity access and 87 percent clean water access.

The Public Accounts Committee hearings kicked off September 5, targeting high officials and staffers from 85 public institutions and 31 projects. The hearings ran until September 23.