In the tumult of major African metropolises, the issues of water and electricity distribution are taking on a crucial dimension. In Kinshasa, the changing capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the communications war between the National Electricity Company (Snel) and the Water Distribution Authority (Regideso) has recently caused a lot of ink to flow.
September 17, 2024 will be remembered as the day the masks fell, revealing the underlying power struggles. On the Regideso side, the explanation given for an interruption of drinking water supply in certain neighborhoods is based on work allegedly undertaken by Snel on the line supplying electricity to the Regideso Plant in Ngaliema. A straightforward indictment that highlighted the tensions between the two entities.
However, on the Snel side, the discourse is quite different. When questioned by local media, the electricity company formally denied any work underway on the line in question. This casts doubt on the veracity of Regideso’s statements and underlines the importance of transparency in a sector that is so crucial to the well-being of the population.
Between these two divergent versions, the inhabitants of Kinshasa have been taken hostage, deprived of drinking water in a region where sanitary conditions are already precarious. The consequences of these power games are felt on a daily basis, calling into question the authorities’ ability to guarantee equitable access to essential services.
Beyond the rag-picker quarrels between these two giants, it is the Congolese population that is paying the highest price. While Regideso and Snel can pass the buck as to who is responsible, the real victims are the millions of inhabitants of this megacity in constant search of a reliable supply of water and electricity.
Faced with this situation, it is becoming imperative for the authorities to take charge of this burning issue and provide concrete solutions to guarantee quality public service to the entire population. The dignity of the inhabitants of Kinshasa and the credibility of the actors in charge of these services that are vital to everyone’s daily lives are at stake. The ball is now in the court of decision-makers, who are called upon to act firmly and transparently to restore citizens’ trust in the institutions responsible for serving them.