Bugabira : a forgotten population, deprived of drinking water

SOS Médias Burundi

Bugabira, October 15, 2025 – In the Bugabira area, a district bordering Kirundo (formerly a northern province of the small east African nation), access to drinking water remains a major challenge. This population has historically lacked reliable sources of clean water. In the absence of functioning water supply networks, residents turn to Lakes Cohoha and Gacamirindi for their daily needs.

Consuming this untreated water poses significant health risks. According to health district officials, diseases linked to poor hygiene are on the rise, including diarrhea, parasitic infections, skin diseases, and other waterborne diseases. The lack of access to drinking water thus poses a constant threat to the health of the local population.

Difficult and unequal access to drinking water

To obtain drinking water, some residents must travel nearly 30 kilometers. Those with financial means purchase water transported by bicycle taxis, at a cost of 2,000 Burundi francs per 20-liter container, a high cost for a predominantly rural and low-income population. Others continue to consume water from the lakes, despite the health risks.

An unfinished water supply project

A water supply project was launched in 2019 under the presidency of the late Pierre Nkurunziza. It aimed to collect drinking water from Mutumba village, in the Vumbi area, more than 60 kilometers from Bugabira, to serve more than 50,000 residents. Estimated at over 5 billion Burundi francs, the project was interrupted and remains stalled today, with no clear prospect of resuming.

A presidential promise that remained a dead letter

A few years ago, during a visit to the district, President Évariste Ndayishimiye gave the then-governor of Kirundo, Albert Hatungimana, one month to resolve the situation. The latter allegedly falsely claimed that the district already enjoyed abundant drinking water, which cost him his job, according to various sources. At the time, Kirundo was not yet included in the new province of Butanyerera, which brings together the former northern provinces of the small east African nation, according to the new administrative divisions that came into effect with this year’s legislative elections.

A cry of distress from the population

“The problem has been known for several years. “Every time there are elections, we are promised water supply, but in vain. We are left to our own devices,” lamented residents who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi. Today, they are still waiting for a concrete solution and are calling on the government to restart the drinking water supply project to end this marginalization. In this part of the country, water, although essential to life, remains a luxury that many cannot afford.