The Rwanda Energy Group (REG) recently made progress in its ambitious target to add more consumers to the national grid by connecting a total of 400 homes including healthcare centers in Rushango District.
“The connection of Nyarurama centre is part of a bigger project, which will soon connect more households to the national grid in the district,” Mr. Jean de Dieu  Nyiringano who is the REG branch manager in Ruhango District said.
In a bid to achieve the 100% access target by 2024, the project aims at connecting 4,200 households in three sectors of Ntongwe, Kinazi and Bweramana, Nyiringano. They are currently at 40% in Ruhango District.
Rwanda’s households accessing electricity has increased from 10% in 2010 to 42% in 2017, this is according to the media’s cited information from REG. Of the 42% households accessing electricity, only 31% of the households of the total are connected to the national grid and 11% accessing power through off-grid solutions, mainly the solar energy.
Also read:Â Rwanda seeks to install lightening protection system
The health centers had to rely on solar power for some time now after abandoning and turned to using diesel generators which made it expensive to generate electricity 24 hours.
According to the Director of Nyarurama Health Centre Israel Hagenimana, lack of electricity was hampering with the efficient provision of services to patients at the health centre.
Hagenimana said that they were moved beyond words now that they have been given electricity, because the generator was costing the health centre a lot of money to buy diesel to keep it running for hours on a daily basis.
Over US $24 was being spent on diesel every day to keep the generator running which translates into US $706 per month, which was straining their budget.
