Rwanda’s Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) has apologized to citizens following widespread electricity outages that disrupted multiple regions of the country, with the capital Kigali among the hardest hit.
The blackout occurred on the evening of Monday, January 5, 2025, affecting households, businesses, and public services.
State Minister Ambassador Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye said the outages were caused by technical problems in cross-border transmission lines shared with neighboring countries. “We are fully aware of the impact these disruptions have on residents and economic activity,” he said.
Ambassador Uwihanganye emphasized that while some corrective projects will take time to complete, the government is fast-tracking measures to strengthen Rwanda’s power network and reduce future disruptions. “We assure Rwandans that these problems will be resolved soon, and we will keep the public informed,” he added.
MININFRA’s statement comes amid rising concern over the reliability of electricity supply in the country, which is critical for businesses and households. Authorities say long-term infrastructure upgrades and cross-border coordination are central to preventing similar outages in the future.
