Kabuye Sugar Works under pressure over waste disposal

• Rwandan authorities deny knowledge of such a concern, saying matter not reported to either Rema or Minagri.
• Kabuye Sugar Works officials said they were aware of the problem and pledged to work on it as soon as possible.

Farmers told Rwanda Today that their complaints to the authorities about the pollution and uncontrolled waste at the Gasabo-based sugar factory are longstanding.

“They channel black industrial waste into River Nyabugogo, whose water we use for irrigation,” said Francois Gatabazi, a rice farmer. “The waste is usually very hot; it damages the roots and the entire rice crop becomes brown and dries up.”

The farmers say their plea to the factory officials to deal with the waste as well as several appeals for intervention from line ministries have fallen on deaf ears.

Faustin Habinshuti, another farmer, said sometimes when they try to raise such complains, the factory authorities promise a solution but none has been forthcoming.

“We fear that we will be attacked by diseases since sometimes we work on these fields barefoot, especially during weeding or cultivating,” Mr Habinshuti added.

Théophile Ndayisenga, a government agronomist in charge of Jabana wetland, said the waste that flows into the river ravages rice paddies, contributing to reduced produce.

“The sewage accumulates in one place and turns into mud,” Mr Ndayisenga said. “During that time, the rice, which is still nascent, cannot break through such a thick liquid, which is also contaminated.

“When rice is attacked in that manner, there’s no other remedy except to uproot it and throw it away.”

He added despite referring the issue to the top officials in Rwanda Environment Management Authority (Rema) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Minagri) but there has been no intervention so far.

An official however denied knowledge of such a concern, saying it had not been reported to either Rema or Minagri.

Remy Norbert Duhuze, the director of Environment Regulation and Pollution Control at Rema, said: “Neither Rema nor Minagri is aware of that problem.

“All these institutions work closely, so that when such a case happens we work together to look for a sustainable solution.

“But we also urge owners of industries to install sewage treatment systems and to reduce the temperature of water which comes from the industries in order to protect the environment and other activities which can be harmed by that sewage.”

Mr Duhuze nonetheless promised to follow up the case and address the problem as soon as possible