The state minister in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Amb. Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, has announced that a new artificial lake linking the City of Kigali with the Southern, Northern, and Western Provinces will soon be completed. The lake, which will stretch over 67 kilometers, is nearing completion. He made the announcement via his X (formerly Twitter) account.
He stated: “Very soon, a lake twice the size of Lake Muhazi will be completed, just 20 minutes from Nyabugogo. The Nyabugogo dam is already halfway done and will be fully operational by 2028, generating 40 MW.”
The water from this lake will also supply the Nyabarongo II hydropower plant, expected to generate 43.5 MW, which has so far reached 50% completion.
The dam is being constructed by Sino Hydro Corporation on 600 hectares of land in Rulindo and Gakenke districts in the Northern Province and Kamonyi District in the Southern Province. The project will cost 214 billion Rwandan francs.
According to Amb. Uwihanganye, the new lake will hold 800 million cubic meters of water, making it the fourth largest in Rwanda after Lakes Kivu, Burera, and Ruhondo.
He explained: “This lake will stretch 67 kilometers from Vunga, transforming the landscape of Nyarugenge, Rulindo, Gakenke, Muhanga, Kamonyi, Nyabihu, Ngororero, and Musanze. It will unlock endless opportunities — from water transport, infrastructure, and construction to water sports and irrigation — changing the way Kigali, the Northern, Southern, and Western regions are connected.”
Quoting a line from a song by Nel Ngabo, he added: “Rwanda is truly a land flowing with honey. The best times are ahead of us.”
Earlier this year, the Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) announced that it had developed a master plan for the sustainable use of five key lakes in the country, including Lake Kivu. The aim is to ensure the protection of water resources and harmonize their multiple uses.
The first lakes assessed were Kivu, Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi, and Mugesera, as they are the most utilized for different activities.
According to RWB, Lake Kivu has been designated for gas extraction, general fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and water transport. Lakes Muhazi, Burera, Ruhondo, and Mugesera will focus on aquaculture, fishing, tourism, and boat transport, while Muhazi will also play a key role in water distribution to households.
The master plan outlines how each activity should be carried out to prevent conflicts between uses. Activities included in the plan are those directly on the water bodies, while those outside — such as irrigation, water distribution to homes, and industrial use — are excluded.
Currently, Rwanda has 40 lakes, holding a combined 225.1 billion cubic meters of water. Natural lakes account for 99.96% of this storage, while artificial lakes represent 0.04%.
