Residents in several parts of Burundi, particularly in the economic capital Bujumbura, are calling for improved access to clean water and regular garbage collection services as authorities intensify enforcement of national hygiene measures amid an ongoing cholera outbreak.
The complaints come as government officials warn that individuals and businesses failing to comply with sanitation regulations could face heavy penalties within the next two weeks.
In several urban areas, including the country’s economic capital Bujumbura, piles of household waste and plastic bottles can be seen outside homes, restaurants, and in drainage canals. Residents say poor sanitation infrastructure and irregular public services are making it difficult to follow the hygiene rules imposed by authorities.
“We spend up to 5,000 Burundian francs a day just to get water when it is available,” says a resident of the Mutakura neighborhood in northern Bujumbura. “Imagine how much that costs us every month.”
Another resident criticized the government’s warning of fines, arguing that authorities have failed to ensure a reliable supply of potable water.
“If they fine us, it would be unfair because the government itself cannot provide us with permanent access to clean water,” he said, pointing to stagnant wastewater and plastic waste clogging the drainage ditch in front of his home.
In the Cibitoke neignborhood of Bujumbura, residents also complained about the irregular collection of household waste by private sanitation companies.
“We pay monthly fees for garbage collection, but sometimes three months pass without the companies showing up,” said one resident.
According to testimonies from residents in northern Bujumbura, the inconsistent operation of waste collection services has led some households to dump garbage into drainage canals at night during rainfall.
The public frustration follows a warning issued Wednesday by Interior Minister Leonidas Ndaruzaniye after a joint inspection tour in Bujumbura province alongside the Minister of Public Health and the provincial governor.
“There are people who have still not begun implementing the hygiene measures in force,” Ndaruzaniye said after the visit. “We are issuing a final warning that anyone who has not complied within two weeks will face sanctions throughout the country.”
The minister said that penalties could include fines and the temporary closure of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, churches, shops, and even private households. Businesses and households would be required to pay imposed fines before reopening or resuming activities.
Ndaruzaniye added that inspections to verify compliance with hygiene measures would continue nationwide.
Burundi has been facing a cholera epidemic in recent months, with the province of Bujumbura— particularly the northern neighborhoods — among the areas most affected, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
The government’s warnings are backed by a joint ministerial order issued on August 5, 2025 by the ministries of Finance, Interior, and Public Health, which established fines for violations of public hygiene and sanitation regulations.
Under the regulation, individuals caught dumping household waste or wastewater in public drainage systems can face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Burundian francs, while bars, restaurants, markets, churches, and other public venues without proper sanitation facilities risk fines of up to 100,000 francs. Industrial and commercial operators who discharge waste directly into the environment can be fined up to 500,000 francs.
