Landmark 25-year partnership with Weza Power promises to transform Burundi’s electricity network, connect 1.2 million households and businesses, create thousands of jobs and open new opportunities for industrial growth and American investment.
By Ajong Mbapndah L
Burundi has taken a major step towards transforming its energy future with the signing of a landmark $1.4 billion public-private partnership with Weza Power, a subsidiary of American-backed Anzana Electric Group, in an ambitious undertaking expected to bring electricity to millions of people, strengthen the country’s industrial capacity and attract a new wave of international investment.
The agreement, signed in Bujumbura on October 15, 2026, represents what U.S. officials have described as the largest investment in Burundi’s history. It also establishes Africa’s first new national-scale electricity distribution concession operated by a private company in decades, placing the East African nation at the forefront of efforts to mobilize private capital for large-scale electrification.
Under the 25-year partnership, Weza Power will invest in, expand and operate electricity distribution infrastructure across approximately half of Burundi, with plans to build and upgrade 52,000 kilometres of distribution lines and connect more than 1.2 million households and businesses. The programme is expected to provide first-time or improved electricity access to approximately eight million people, while creating more than 2,000 direct jobs and over 30,000 indirect employment opportunities for Burundians.
The investment comes at a critical time for Burundi, where limited access to electricity has constrained industrial development, discouraged investment and restricted economic opportunities for millions of households. With on-grid electrification estimated at approximately 15 percent, the partnership aims to raise electricity access to more than 50 percent, while supporting the government’s broader ambition of reaching 70 percent.
For President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the agreement represents far more than an infrastructure investment. It is an important component of Burundi’s Vision 2040–2060 development agenda, which seeks to transform the country into an emerging economy by 2040 and a developed nation by 2060.
“Electricity is the foundation of Burundi’s economic transformation and a key pillar of our Vision 2040-2060 ambitions,” President Ndayishimiye said. “This partnership will expand opportunities for our people, strengthen our industries, and create conditions for investment, jobs and lasting prosperity. It proves what can be achieved when government and private sector partners unite behind a shared national vision.”
The project will be implemented through Weza Power in partnership with the Government of Burundi, with the national electricity utility, REGIDESO, retaining responsibility for electricity transmission and distribution in the other half of the country. The arrangement is designed to combine public oversight with private-sector expertise, investment and operational efficiency.
A major feature of the agreement is its financing structure, which will combine private commercial capital with concessional funding from international development institutions without adding to Burundi’s public debt. The financing partnership brings together the World Bank’s ASCENT programme, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, African Development Bank, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Gridworks, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, NORAD and other bilateral and climate finance partners.
The participation of these institutions reflects growing interest in investment models capable of addressing Africa’s electricity deficit while reducing the financial burden on governments. The concession will also operate under tariff and performance obligations intended to protect consumers, maintain affordability and provide investors with the stability required for long-term infrastructure development.
Burundi’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Energy, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Dr. Hassan Kibeya, said the agreement would help address a longstanding weakness in the country’s energy infrastructure and support the development of productive industries.
“This partnership addresses one of Burundi’s most important infrastructure priorities by expanding and strengthening our electricity distribution network,” Kibeya said. “With Burundi’s installed generation capacity at approximately 183 MW, our focus must now be on ensuring that existing and future generation can be delivered to more homes, businesses and productive sectors across the country. Reliable electricity will power Burundi’s industries, enable local processing of critical minerals, and fuel sustainable economic growth.”
The reference to critical minerals highlights the wider economic significance of the project. Burundi possesses mineral resources whose commercial development could benefit considerably from dependable electricity, particularly where local processing and value addition require stable industrial power supplies. Improved electricity infrastructure could also strengthen agricultural processing, manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare and other sectors central to economic diversification.
For Anzana Electric Group, the agreement is the culmination of years of investment, relationship-building and operational experience in Burundi. The company has been active in the country since 2018 through Songa Energy, which has one operational hydropower plant and another under construction. That experience has provided Anzana with knowledge of Burundi’s electricity market and the infrastructure challenges confronting businesses and communities.
Brian Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of Anzana Electric Group and Weza Power, described the signing as the product of sustained cooperation between the government, private investors and development partners, including the IFC, which helped develop the project.
“Today’s signing reflects years of trust, determination and a shared commitment to building a true win-win partnership, made possible by the tireless work of the many teams, including our co-developers at IFC, who brought this vision to life,” Kelly said.
“This PPP will strengthen Burundi’s ability to compete, attract investment and retain more value from its own resources. Reliable electricity will give businesses the confidence to invest, enable critical industries to grow, and unlock more of the country’s economic potential at home.”
Kelly’s remarks point to one of the most important economic opportunities associated with the investment: enabling Burundi to process more of its resources domestically rather than exporting raw materials with limited value addition. Reliable electricity could improve the competitiveness of local enterprises, encourage industrial investment and create opportunities for Burundian entrepreneurs to participate in emerging supply chains.
The agreement has also attracted attention in Washington, where the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs welcomed the investment as an example of the benefits of stronger commercial partnerships between American businesses and African countries.
In a statement announcing the development, the Bureau said the investment would help raise Burundi’s electrification rate from 12 percent to 70 percent over the coming years, bringing reliable electricity to millions of people for the first time. It also highlighted the potential for a modern electricity grid to encourage additional U.S. private-sector investment, strengthen supply chains and support mining and agro-processing industries.
The State Department’s endorsement underscores the growing importance of energy infrastructure in U.S.–Africa economic relations, particularly as American companies seek opportunities in critical minerals, industrial development and strategic supply chains. For Burundi, the agreement provides an opportunity to attract investment beyond electricity distribution and position itself as a more competitive destination for international business.
The World Bank Group has also welcomed the partnership, which contributes to Mission 300, the joint initiative with the African Development Bank to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
Babacar Sedikh Faye, World Bank Group Country Manager for Burundi, said the agreement demonstrated the potential of cooperation between governments, development partners and private investors to deliver electricity access on a national scale.
“This partnership directly supports the World Bank Group’s strategic priorities and the objectives of Mission 300,” Faye said. “Burundi is demonstrating how governments, development partners, and the private sector can collaborate to deliver impact at scale. Mobilizing private capital is essential to creating jobs and expanding opportunities for Burundian families and communities to improve their livelihoods.”
Beyond Burundi, the agreement could provide a reference point for other African countries seeking innovative ways to expand electricity access without relying exclusively on public financing. Anzana Electric Group is already pursuing electricity infrastructure investments in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is working with governments and partners to develop commercially sustainable power platforms.
Backed by private American investors and Gridworks Development Partners, an Africa-focused electricity infrastructure investor owned by British International Investment, Anzana has established a growing presence across East, Central and Southern Africa. Its business combines hydropower development with electricity distribution, addressing both the supply of electricity and the infrastructure required to deliver it to consumers.
The Burundi partnership is particularly significant because it extends beyond electricity generation to address the distribution networks that determine whether power actually reaches homes, farms, factories and businesses. Across Africa, inadequate distribution infrastructure remains a major obstacle to electrification, even in markets where new generation projects are being developed.
For communities in rural and peri-urban Burundi, the benefits could be substantial. Expanded electricity access would improve conditions for schools and health facilities, enable small businesses to operate more efficiently, support irrigation and agricultural processing, and reduce dependence on costly or unreliable alternative energy sources.
The scale of the programme also presents opportunities for Burundian contractors, technicians, engineers and service providers. With more than 32,000 direct and indirect jobs projected, implementation could support skills development and local enterprise participation, provided that training, procurement and employment opportunities are effectively integrated into the project.
The challenge now will be translating the agreement into functioning infrastructure, affordable connections and reliable electricity supply. Meeting the ambitious targets will require sustained investment, effective regulation, timely construction and close cooperation between Weza Power, REGIDESO, government institutions and development partners.
For Burundi, the stakes are considerable. Electricity has long been among the country’s most pressing development constraints, and the ability to connect millions of citizens could fundamentally improve its economic prospects.
For Anzana Electric Group, the agreement represents a major expansion of its African operations and an opportunity to demonstrate how private investment, local partnerships and development finance can deliver electricity infrastructure at national scale.
As Burundi embarks on one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in its history, the $1.4 billion partnership offers the prospect of a more connected economy, stronger industries and new opportunities for millions of citizens. Its success will ultimately be measured not simply by the kilometres of power lines constructed, but by the homes illuminated, businesses established, jobs created and economic opportunities made possible through reliable electricity.