Burundi’s main opposition coalition, Burundi Bwa Bose, has raised strong concerns about the country’s governance, accusing Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca of failing to address pressing national challenges and warning that a deep lack of coordination within government is stalling national development.
Speaking to local media on Monday, coalition spokesperson Kefa Nibizi criticized what he described as a “growing dysfunctionality” within the state, attributing the stagnation of key projects to the disconnect between President Évariste Ndayishimiye and the Prime Minister.
“When the Prime Minister is summoned and asked, ‘What is going on with this or that issue?’—whether it’s fuel, roads, or markets under construction—and he says he doesn’t know, despite being responsible for overall government programs, it shows there is no real coordination between him and the President,” Nibizi told Bonesha FM, a local radio station.
The criticism comes in the wake of an ordinary plenary session of the National Assembly, during which Ndirakobuca presented the Implementation Report of the Government’s Annual Work Plan and Budget for the first semester of the 2024–2025 fiscal year. Lawmakers seized the opportunity to question the Prime Minister on the country’s deepening fuel crisis and other unresolved issues.
MP Pamphile Malayika pointedly questioned the Prime Minister’s awareness of the daily hardships faced by citizens.
“Has the Prime Minister ever gone to the central market’s parking area to see the endless lines of people waiting for buses—under the blazing sun or heavy rain—due to the fuel shortage? Does he understand how this crisis has forced people to walk for miles?” Malayika asked.
The lawmaker also drew attention to troubling reports that a fuel shipment has been stranded in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for over seven months.
“If this is true, why has the ship been stuck there? Who is paying the port storage fees? And why hasn’t the government resolved this?” he pressed.
Calling the crisis “critical,” Malayika demanded accountability. “Someone must take responsibility—be it SOPEBU, the Minister of Energy, or the Prime Minister himself. At this point, resignations should be on the table.”
In response, Prime Minister Ndirakobuca defended his role, emphasizing that each ministry is responsible for its own sector. “The Constitution rightly provides for decentralization of responsibility. If the Prime Minister were to manage all sectors, why appoint other ministers?” he asked.
He acknowledged that questions about fuel are valid but pushed back on suggestions that he should bear the full burden.
“I coordinate government action, but I do not oversee any sector more than the others. When someone fails to answer a question, it doesn’t mean they are unwilling—it may simply not fall under their remit,” Ndirakobuca explained.
Still, Nibizi remained critical, pointing to the Prime Minister’s apparent detachment from the very reports he presented to lawmakers.
“When the Prime Minister says the reports he submitted were just handed to him, it shows a lack of ownership. These reports are supposed to reflect his leadership and coordination efforts,” he said. “This confusion is undermining the country’s ability to move forward.”
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