Fabrice Lusinde, Managing Director of the DR Congo’s Electricity company, Société National d’Electricité (SNEL), visited the Funa high-voltage substation on October 20, 2024. During the visit, he said power would gradually be restored in Kinshasa, the capital, after recent power outages.

"Yesterday at 7 am, there was water everywhere. This morning at 6:20, there was still 10 centimeters of water. It's now 5:30 pm, and we're ready to put transformer number 1 back into service. This means that in less than 48 hours, we will be able to resume normal operation of the Funa substation," he said.

The Funa substation was shut down after flooding from heavy rains on October 19 left nearly two million residents without power. The substation has two transformers and supplies several neighborhoods, including parts of Gombe, Lingwala, Barumbu, Kinshasa, Kalamu, Bumbu, Selembao, Makala, Lemba, and Masina, as well as the Limete industrial zone.

Lusinde explained that the flooding was caused by construction works that obstructed the Kalamu River, a tributary of the Congo River. He then added that the Ministry of Hydroelectric Resources and Electricity is working on a project to clear the riverbed.

« Le temps d'indisponibilité ayant été réduit, le transfo numéro 1 devrait déjà être remis en service » pour rétablir l'électricité dans plusieurs quartiers de Kinshasa qui sont encore dans le noir, rassure le DG de la SNEL, à l'issue de la visite du poste de la Funa, inondé… pic.twitter.com/as04ocReFQ

— TOP CONGO FM (@TopCongo) October 20, 2024

Before the recent power cuts, some neighborhoods like Huilerie had already been without electricity for several days. According to SNEL, electricity capacity has not changed much since 2021, and transmission and distribution infrastructure is still in poor condition. As a result, many households and businesses depend on generators for power, which is not an option for everyone.

In addition to distributing electricity, SNEL is a key company in the state’s portfolio. A recent government report and statements from Minister Jacques-Lucien Bussa indicate that all entities need restructuring to improve efficiency.

Georges Auréole Bamba