Currently halfway complete, the 43.5-megawatt dam is expected to be fully operational by 2028. Once completed, it will generate electricity, support irrigation on over 20,000 hectares of farmland, reduce downstream flooding, and create a reservoir holding 803 million cubic metres of waterâ€"the fourth-largest in Rwanda.
According to Amb. Uwihanganye, the lake will stretch 67 kilometres from Nyabugogo to Vunga, reshaping the landscape of eight districts, including Nyarugenge, Rulindo, Gakenke, Muhanga, Kamonyi, Nyabihu, Ngororero, and Musanze.
The project opens up opportunities across various sectors in the capital, Kigali, and beyond.
"The opportunities are endlessâ€"from maritime transport and real estate to water sports and irrigation, all of which will revolutionise the way we connect in Kigali, the North, South, West, and beyond!" the state minister said in a post on X.
The Nyabarongo II Hydropower plant is being built between Kamonyi, Gakenke, and Rulindo districts, with the Chinese company Sinohydro serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor.
The project is financed through a $214 million concessional loan from China Exim Bank, stemming from a 2020 framework agreement.
Felix Gakuba, the Managing Director of Energy Development Corporation Ltd (EDCL), told parliament in late June that nearly half of the works had been completed.
'The powerhouse structure has reached its first level, and the dam's foundation is finished. Construction of the transmission line is underway, and equipment from China is on its way,' he said.
Once complete, the dam will provide irrigation to areas along the Nyabarongo, Akagera, and Akanyaru rivers, as well as upstream zones near Lakes Cyohoha and Rweru in Bugesera District, via a major canal from Shyorongi.
The Nyabarongo Dam is expected to be a transformative project for Rwanda, combining energy, water management, agriculture, and recreation, with widespread economic benefits.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
