Rumonge : CNDD-FDD accused of imposing levies and denying residents access to water

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, November 4, 2026 — Traders and residents in the port district of Rumonge, in the Burunga province of southwestern Burundi, are denouncing what they describe as forced financial contributions to fund the construction of a local headquarters for the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD. These collection efforts, which have been underway since September 2026, reportedly target both party members and individuals with no affiliation to the party. Some residents claim that households that have failed to pay the requested amount are being blocked from drawing water from public taps in certain neighborhoods.

According to information gathered from those affected, letters requesting funding have been sent to traders, party members, and the party’s associates and sympathizers.

In a letter sent to several traders, Laurent Nkengurutse, the CNDD-FDD’s district secretary in Rumonge, states that the estimated budget required to complete the remaining construction work on the headquarters exceeds 900 million Burundian francs.

According to these documents, which were reviewed by SOS Médias Burundi, some traders are being asked to contribute between one and five million Burundian francs by January 2027 at the latest. The funds are to be deposited into CNDD-FDD accounts held at banks located within the district.

In these letters, the party’s district secretary also issues a warning to any traders who fail to respond to this call for funding. “We know where you work, we are aware of your activities, and we are giving you until January to have paid your contributions,” state some of these communications.

Shopkeepers who were questioned view these statements as threats. They question the legitimacy of being asked to provide financial support for the construction of a local office for a political party to which they do not belong. In their view, the funding for such infrastructure should primarily come from CNDD-FDD members and supporters, on a voluntary basis.

Contributions demanded from households

The concerns are not limited to shopkeepers. Between September and October 2026, residents of the port district of Rumonge were reportedly also asked to contribute 2,000 Burundian francs per household to fund the same project.

According to residents, this collection effort makes no distinction between CNDD-FDD members and citizens who are not affiliated with the party.

Some residents claim that Imbonerakure, members of the ruling party’s youth wing, along with other CNDD-FDD activists, have been preventing households that have not paid their contribution from drawing water from public taps in certain parts of the town.

Those affected say they eventually paid the required sums to access these water points. They denounce a practice that penalizes households based on their ability or willingness to contribute to the financing of political infrastructure.

Faced with this situation, residents are asking the district authorities to put an end to the collections from people who are not members of the CNDD-FDD. They believe that contributing to the financing of a partisan project should in no way be a condition for access to essential services, particularly drinking water.

Administrative authorities implicated

Sources close to the administrative authorities of the port district of Rumonge indicate that local officials are aware of these collections. However, according to these same sources, they are having difficulty intervening against officials of the ruling party, to which they themselves belong.

This situation raises questions about the role of administrative authorities in protecting citizens from pressure related to the financing of political party activities.

For the affected merchants and residents, the construction of a party office should not become a financial obligation imposed on the entire population, much less a condition for accessing drinking water. They demand that contributions be voluntary and that essential services remain accessible to all, regardless of political affiliation or ability to pay.

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The photo, taken in 2022, shows an unfinished CNDD-FDD office in the Kirundo region of northern Burundi. In the port town of Rumonge, in Burunga province, southwestern Burundi, merchants and residents are denouncing forced contributions for the construction of a district office for the ruling party (SOS Médias Burundi)