New Year celebrations in Kinshasa without water

In Kinshasa, which has about 12 million population, the residents have to do without water during the end-of-year period. The trade union of the public water distribution company of the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced that the water supply will be interrupted due to a lack of financial and material resources.

“We are asking the population of Kinshasa to build up water resources as of next week because we will not be able to provide them with water during this period of end-of-year celebrations,” said Alain Senenge, a member of the Regideso trade union delegation, in an audio message distributed to the media.

“We no longer have any resources for water treatment, our machines are shut down overnight and the payment of wages to the employees of Regideso is delayed by three months,” Senenge explained.

According to him, the Ministry of Finance is refusing to release $5.4 million that it owes to the government agencies for water consumption. With that amount, the water company could continue to work. The Ministry of Finance announced that it is preparing to clear the water consumption invoices of the Congolese state gradually.

Kinshasa, which has about 12 million inhabitants, often has problems with the water supply. Several neighborhoods are not connected to Regideso’s distribution network and residents depend on water from wells and rivers or rainwater.