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Rwanda’s target of connecting every household to electricity by 2029 has come under scrutiny in the Senate, where a lawmaker raised concerns over frequent power outages and the reliability of the country’s electricity distribution network.
Senator Evode Uwizeyimana raised the concerns on Thursday, November 12, 2026, as the Senate’s Committee on Economy and Finance presented a report on government efforts to expand electricity access.
He asked whether the committee was confident the target could be achieved, based on its discussions with government officials and the timelines provided for ongoing projects.
Uwizeyimana said outages were particularly noticeable during rainfall, including in Kigali, where he lives in Kicukiro District.
“When it rains, you sometimes get the impression that electricity also goes into hiding,” he said, recounting how power cuts at his home were often attributed by a local Rwanda Energy Group (REG) official to fallen electricity wires.
He also questioned whether the country’s electricity supply would be sufficient as demand grows, particularly from industries and the increasing number of electric vehicles.
Senator Fulgence Nsengiyumva, chairperson of the committee, said there was no reason to doubt that the universal access target could be achieved, pointing to increased electricity generation capacity and projects under development.
He said Rwanda’s installed generation capacity had risen from 406 megawatts in 2024 to 472.4MW, while eight ongoing projects, including hydropower plants, power stations and solar energy developments, were expected to add another 523MW.
Senator Dr Nyinawamwiza Laetitia, the committee’s vice-chairperson, also expressed confidence in the target, saying the country was close to achieving universal access.
According to the committee’s report, household electricity access increased from 78.9% in 2024 to 88.3% in 2026, with 3,273,772 households now connected.
Of these, 2,348,087 households, or 63.3%, receive electricity through the national grid, while 925,685, equivalent to 25%, rely on off-grid solar systems.
The report puts Rwanda’s electricity generation capacity at 472.9MW in 2026, comprising 366.8MW produced domestically and 106.1MW imported from neighbouring countries.
The committee’s review covered government activities between July 14 and September 22, 2026.
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