The recent power outages in Uganda have sent ripple effects as far as Rwanda which imports a sizeable package.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) has assured Rwandans that these disruptions will recurring electricity outages will be resolved.
The State Minister for Infrastructure, Amb. Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, noted that the power cuts affected several parts of the country on the evening of January 5, 2026.
He added that Similar incidents have occurred intermittently in recent months, often without clear explanations to customers of the national electricity utility.
A previous nationwide blackout was recorded on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Addressing the latest outage, Amb. Uwihanganye issued a public apology on January 6 via social media platform X, acknowledging the inconvenience caused.
He explained that many of the disruptions are linked to regional power transmission lines shared with neighboring countries, noting that challenges on those networks can directly impact Rwanda.
While he did not specify the exact fault behind the latest incident, he emphasized that the situation will not persist.
“MININFRA has already initiated measures to better protect our transmission infrastructure and reduce these impacts,” he said, adding that although some projects may take time, they are being fast-tracked and the public will be kept informed.
Rwanda’s energy sector has seen significant growth over the past two decades.
Access to electricity has increased from just 2% in 2000, to 10% in 2010, and now stands at approximately 85%, reflecting major progress despite ongoing reliability challenges.
By Andrew Shyaka
