The boat was handed over on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. It can carry up to 51 passengers in seated positions and up to five tonnes of cargo.

Alfred Habimana, the Vice Mayor of Rusizi District in charge of economic development, said the boat is valued at nearly Rwf500 million.

He said the new boat is intended to address challenges residents have faced when travelling to and from the island.

“Today, we handed over to Nkombo Island residents a boat provided by the President of the Republic. It is intended to address the difficulties they used to face. Even when it rains or the sun is shining, they will now be able to travel because the boat is covered and in good condition,” Habimana said.

He said the boat was procured through a tender issued by the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), adding that its services would be provided at an affordable cost.

The fare previously paid by residents travelling to Kamembe town has been reduced by Rwf500.

Habimana urged residents to take care of the new boat and other infrastructure provided to them.

“We ask residents to protect the facilities they have received, including this boat and other infrastructure that will be provided to them,” he said.

The boat is expected to improve mobility for Nkombo residents, facilitate trade and enable traders to transport goods to the island more safely.

One Nkombo resident said they previously relied on wooden boats, which made travel particularly difficult during the rainy season.

“It was not easy because we used wooden boats. During the rainy season, traders would go to buy goods, but their merchandise would get wet, or they would be unable to transport it back to the island. This boat is therefore a solution,” the resident said.

Nkombo residents had previously received another modern boat in October 2020. It was also provided in response to calls to improve transport for people living on the island and had a capacity of 30 passengers and three tonnes of cargo.

The boat later developed technical problems and stopped operating, prompting the authorities to initiate a new project to provide a replacement.