ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the practices and narratives of water supply and hydroelectricity in Bukavu. Tap water and electricity are strong symbols of public goods for many citizens. This is because the water agency (REGIDESO) and the hydroelectricity company (SNEL), uphold a certain monopoly over water and electricity in the urban centers supported by international agencies. However, there is limited overall access to both tap water and electricity in Bukavu, which means there are different practices employed in accessing water and energy, outside these national agencies. The complexity and unrest when it comes to the basic need of accessing water, the perspectives of national agencies in charge of urban provision of tap water and electricity, and discussions of whether or not and how these goods are perceived as “public.” This offers insight into the expression of statehood. These public goods and their related form of governance (commercial or public) are political matters that go beyond technical and economic challenges.
