Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente to resolve the matter at SteelRwa, within two years. In a resolution which was passed on Wednesday (3 November), the lawmakers also directed the PM to present the lower house of the parliament with a report, every six months, on the progress of the efforts to address the issue.
According to the MPs, the issue of harmful emissions from the steel factory have been affecting residents in the area for 11 years, and a petition was filed by them to the speaker, Donatille Mukabalisa, following the recent resumption of activities following the suspension in 2019.
Since then, the Committee on Land, Agriculture, Livestock, and Environment has held discussion with the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Director-General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). During these discussions, it was acknowledged that while the factory was significant for the economic growth of Rwanda, it has failed to comply with the regulations on controlling emissions and protecting the environment. Therefore, the continuous appeals made by the residents could not be disregarded by the lawmakers.
According to MP Germaine Mukabalisa, it is imperative to give due consideration to the harm caused by the toxic gases that are being discharged by the plant, to which the residents have been exposed to for over a decade, causing respiratory problems to them. “Enough is enough, the residents should not continue to inhale such harmful gases,” she said, pointing out that any delay in addressing the matter is missing ‘an opportunity to save a life’.
