Bururi : an extended Lumitel outage, slowdown in operations

SOS Médias Burundi

Bururi, August 16, 2025 – Since Tuesday, August 12, the Lumitel network has been out of service in the town of Bururi, in Burunga province, in southern Burundi. Currently, Lumitel is the most widespread network in the country, and its money transfer services are in high demand, particularly due to its ability to connect to the money transfer systems of telephone companies in other countries in the subregion.

Public services and banks at a standstill

The consequences are being felt in almost every sector. In public services, some administrative procedures are blocked due to a lack of communication. Banks and financial institutions, dependent on online transactions and verifications, are operating at a standstill. Even telephone resellers, deprived of customers, are sounding the alarm.

Fuel shortage at the root

According to Lumitel employees, the outage is linked to a shortage of fuel to power the local branch’s generator. A delivery from Bujumbura, the commercial capital where the company’s headquarters is located, was announced for Thursday, August 14th. But to date, the signal has still not returned.

Anger and calls for competition

Exasperated by the situation, some residents are demanding a rapid and lasting solution, even asking for the arrival of another operator to end their exclusive dependence on Lumitel.

The governor of Burunga province has assured that the matter is already on his table. He plans to speak soon with Lumitel’s national management to try to restore service as quickly as possible.