Burundi Roundup: Rising leprosy cases, women in politics, floods

Floods

Residents along the coast of Lake Tanganyika have been cautioned about rising levels in the water body. According to Burundi Eco, lake waters are reaching record levels with recent rainfall, raising concerns among residents. Water levels are projected to reach 777m according to experts with the last maximum height observed standing at 776.39m on January 18. Environmentalists are predicting that the lake will record worse heights in the coming days.

Healthcare in prison

Two inmates at the Mpimba Central Prison in Burundi are facing health threats without any access to health care. According to local news outlet RPA, the two inmates, Etienne Nzeyimana suffering from intestinal obstruction and kidney failure, and Lambert Nduwarugira who has bladder and bowel movement issues will all have to be transferred to hospitals outside the detention house for care. They have allegedly been refused access by the director, Serge Nibigira.

Burundi Stock Market launched

The Burundi Stock Market has been launched according to Yaga Burundi, a local news outlet. The launch which took place on January 26 is aimed at boosting the business environment in the country. The stock market will be managed by Bourse du Burundi, a company formed by the Central Bank and 8 commercial banks. The Bank of the Republic of Burundi will be entitled to 25% of the shares according to the proposed shareholding structure.

Rising leprosy cases 

Leprosy cases in Burundi are on the rise with new cases recorded over the past 5 years. According to local news outlet Arib, 282 cases were reported in 2018 compared to 497 in 2022, both for contagious and non-contagious forms. This was revealed by the Health Ministry in a press release on January 28 during the World Day dedicated to Leprosy. This year’s event was themed, “End stigma and embrace dignity”.

Gender in politics

Gender quotas adopted by Burundi have led to an increase in politics by women in the country. The gender quotas were adopted by the country as a forward-looking solution to sustainable peace, according to the East African. Per data collated between October 2001 and June 2020, gender quotas have resulted in women being assigned to prominent ministerial portfolios according to the report. These women have meanwhile been confined to ‘feminine’, caregiving ministerial portfolios such as health and education for close to two decades.