Drinking water shortage in Carama : residents fear health risks

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, March 23, 2026— In the Carama I and II neighborhoods, located in the Ntahangwa district, north of Burundi’s commercial capital, Bujumbura, the drinking water shortage has persisted for several years and is causing serious health concerns. Residents fear the spread of diseases linked to poor hygiene, including cholera, if the situation is not resolved quickly.

For more than three years, the people of this area have depended on an irregular supply of drinking water provided by the sole state-owned water and electricity company, Regideso. According to several residents contacted on Friday, March 21, 2026, the situation is known to the relevant authorities, but no lasting solution has yet been found.

Residents describe daily queues around the few remaining functioning public taps, while household water sources have been dry for several years. This situation severely disrupts daily activities, including meal preparation and laundry.

Beyond these domestic inconveniences, residents are raising concerns about increased health risks. The lack of drinking water facilitates the spread of diseases transmitted through poor hygiene, particularly cholera. In some homes, toilets become unusable due to the lack of water for waste disposal.

A resident of Carama, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed particular outrage at the repeated promises from Regideso officials, who regularly announce improvements to the water supply without any tangible results.

The situation in Carama is not an isolated case. Several other neighborhoods face similar shortages, not only in Bujumbura, but also in other cities and regions of the country. Regideso officials often attribute these difficulties to the rapid expansion of cities and the increasing number of customers, a justification that does little to reassure users.

Urgent users instead denounce poor planning, a lack of funding, and what they consider unfair management. Some neighborhoods are given priority for water service while others, despite being on official waiting lists, continue to suffer prolonged outages.