Bujumbura : cholera reappears in Buyenzi, authorities strengthen sanitation measures

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, May 15, 2026 – Four cases of cholera have been reported in the Swahili neighborhood of the Buyenzi zone, in the Mukaza district, in the heart of Burundi’s commercial capital. This resurgence comes as authorities are stepping up sanitation measures in several neighborhoods of Bujumbura to prevent the spread of diseases linked to poor hygiene.

According to information gathered on site, the cases are mainly concentrated on 5th and 7th Avenues of the former Buyenzi neighborhood, now called Swahili. Three patients are from 5th Avenue and one from 7th Avenue. All are currently receiving treatment in various health facilities in Bujumbura.

Residents are expressing deep concern about the risk of the epidemic spreading, particularly given the persistent shortage of drinking water in several areas of the city. Some are also denouncing the unsanitary conditions that characterize this working-class neighborhood and are especially worried about the health of young children.

“Without drinking water, it becomes difficult to follow basic hygiene rules,” laments a resident contacted on site. Other residents believe that the accumulation of garbage and the poor condition of the gutters contribute to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera.

A local administrative authority confirms the recorded cases and acknowledges that the neighborhood is facing a serious sanitation problem. According to this source, the lack of drinking water and poor hygiene risk worsening the situation if urgent measures are not taken.

The administration is therefore calling on residents to strictly adhere to hygiene rules, including regular handwashing, drinking clean water, and maintaining the areas around their homes. She also called on the Ministry of Public Health to intervene quickly to contain the outbreak.

The government is strengthening sanitation measures.

This health alert comes as the Burundian government intensifies its national urban sanitation campaign. On Wednesday, the Minister of the Interior, Community Development, and Security, Léonidas Ndaruzaniye, accompanied by the Minister of Public Health, Fidèle Nkezabahizi, toured several neighborhoods in Bujumbura to assess the implementation of the new hygiene measures.

Following this visit, the authorities gave a two-week ultimatum to owners of plots of land along the main roads in Bujumbura to develop and pave the areas between their fences, the roads, and the drainage ditches. Restaurants, bars, and markets in the districts of Mukaza, Mugere, and Ntahangwa were also inspected.

According to the government, this policy aims to improve public health and prevent diseases linked to poor sanitation. Violators face penalties ranging from fines to the temporary closure of their facilities.

However, this sanitation campaign has drawn criticism from residents. Many denounce the high costs in a difficult economic climate, while others regret the lack of a uniform model for the development projects undertaken in the capital’s various neighborhoods.

The Imbo Plain in western Burundi remains one of the regions most vulnerable to cholera epidemics, particularly during the dry season when drinking water shortages become more frequent.