The Nkombo Island passenger ferry project, intended to connect Rusizi and Rubavu, has been delayed after officials revealed it now requires more than 8.2 billion Rwandan francs ($5.66 million) to complete.
The issue was highlighted Feb. 25, 2026, when the Parliamentary Committee on National Budget and State Property presented a report to the full assembly on the 2025/2026 budget execution in districts and the City of Kigali.
Committee Chair Odette Uwamariya said the project stalled after a revised feasibility study increased the ferry’s passenger capacity from 150 to 295. “This caused the budget to rise from $2.63 million in 2019 to $5.66 million,” she said.
Uwamariya described the ferry as a major project that requires sufficient funding to be completed. The vessel is the second promised by President Paul Kagame to residents of Nkombo Island, following problems with the first boat, which was suspended.
The Rwanda Transport Development Agency is overseeing construction, while Afrinest Engineering Ltd. in Karongi District is carrying out the work. The ferry is expected to significantly improve mobility for residents of Nkombo Island and others in Rwanda’s Western Province.
A March 2025 feasibility study also led to design changes, converting space originally planned for vehicles into additional passenger seating to improve service and address capacity shortages.
Other stalled projects cited in the report include housing for vulnerable genocide survivors, a clean water project in Rusizi that is only 37% complete due to contractor noncompliance, and a bridge connecting Ngoma and Kirehe.
By December 2025, overall budget execution stood at 46.1%, increasing to 49.9% during a joint session of districts and Kigali with the committee. Nyagatare District led at 69.1%, while Muhanga, Gicumbi, Gatsibo, Nyanza, Gisagara, Musanze, Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru, and Kigali City remained below 50%.
