Rwanda may be an aspiring communications hub in the region but its radio stations are dwarfed by powerful stations in neighboring countries. And now President Paul Kagame wants an immediate end to the dominance.

He made the demand on December 10, 2009, during the 9th National Dialogue in the capital Kigali.

He ordered the weakling national broadcaster, Rwanda Information Bureau (ORINFOR), to deploy any appropriate technology to stop the dominance of neighboring countries, in particular DR Congo state radio and FM stations which relay to western Rwanda.

Most areas bordering the large neighbour have for years not been able to receive Radio Rwanda or even the state TV. Instead, Rwandans receive several Congolese television channels as well as radio stations. In the Eastern and Northern regions, the radius reception of local radio stations is also worrying as the Ugandan radios, including their national radio, dominate the airspace. For example, in Eastern Province, Kagame’s home, people there listene to Radio West, Radio Kigezi and voice of Tooro.

Local officials and parliamentarians have petitioned the government arguing that their people were not closely following government programmes because there is no communications medium. The Ministry of Information was directed to take up the issue. At the ongoing National Dialogue, a person raised the issue by SMS and President Kagame was on hand putting whoever is responsible to task.

Former Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, now in foreign affairs, said that in addition to new relay antennas that are being installed her office was engaging the Congolese government to reduce the strength of its radio signals.

But President Kagame was not convinced, wondering whether Congo needs to reduce the strength of its signal or Rwanda had to increase the capacity of its own broadcaster. “Do you ask your neighbour to reduce the volume of their radio when yours has a low volume or you simply increase the volume?” he demanded amid loud cheers, as Mushikiwabo struggled to explain.

Mushinkiwabo who has been accused by several journalists of paying must attention to fighting critical independent journalists than developing the industry was at pains to give a valid explanation since she even failed to have the multi-million national printer running. In answering the President however, she said her office had sought to engage with DRC officials to have their signals from Kinshasa regulated.

“No, that is not how things are done,” Kagame said. “The solution is increasing the volume of your radio.”

He also complained that it had been too long but this problem of Radio Rwanda and TV Rwanda remains unsolved. “It should not be simply that something is going or is being done, he said, adding, “We want timelines for when the problem will be over”.

The Minister said in a period of six months, the problem will be no more. The state broadcaster ORINFOR has injected some 13 million dollars into upgrading its transmission equipment.