The Giseke Irrigation Project, contracted by China Geo-engineering Corporation (CGC), officially began construction on September 23 in Gisagara District in Rwanda’s Southern Province. H.E. Gao Wenqi, Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, and Counselor Gao Zhiqiang; Dr. Ndabamenye, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI); Alice Kayitesi, Governor of the Southern Province; and Rutabingoga, Mayor of Gisagara District, attended the ceremony, along with around 100 community representatives and local representatives of CGC. Zhu Xinghui, general manager of CGC’s East and Central Africa branch, was also invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony and witness the handover.
Key guests jointly break ground for the project.
At the ceremony, Ambassador Gao Wenqi, Minister Ndabamenye and Governor Kayitesi delivered speeches, expressing their commitment to advancing the Global Development Initiative, deepening practical cooperation between China and Rwanda, and highlighting the significance of the Giseke Irrigation Project. Ambassador Gao said the project is a major outcome of China-Rwanda cooperation under the framework of the Global Development Initiative and a concrete example of implementing the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in poverty reduction and agricultural development. It aligns with Rwanda’s national transformation strategy and priorities for agricultural modernization, and will help strengthen agricultural resilience, safeguard food security and improve people’s well-being. Minister Ndabamenye thanked China for its support, saying the project will strengthen Rwanda’s capacity to address climate change in agriculture, support national transformation and benefit farmers across the country. Governor Kayitesi welcomed the project and expressed hope that it would be completed soon to improve production conditions, help farmers increase yields and incomes, and drive rural development.
Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Gao Wenqi delivers a speech at the ceremony.
The Giseke Irrigation Project is financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and contracted for construction by CGC. It is an integrated agricultural irrigation project encompassing water storage, water conveyance, field irrigation and supporting roads. The project’s reservoir will have a total storage capacity of 6.55 million cubic meters and will provide irrigation for 2,640 hectares of farmland upon completion. The project will also upgrade rural roads, provide technical training and share China’s experience in agricultural development.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the project’s official entry into the construction phase. Going forward, CGC will strengthen overall coordination in quality, safety, progress and local cooperation, advance construction organization and on-site management to high standards, and ensure steady project delivery, with the goal of building the project into a high-quality development that serves local agriculture and improves people’s livelihoods.
