In the world-wide Millennium Development Goals initiative Rwanda promised to halve
by 2015 the number of people who lacked access to safe water and improved
sanitation in 1990. Progress has been made in access to water, but the target figure
will probably not be met. Targets for improved sanitation will be met on the original
definition of 'improved ', though probably not if shared provision is excluded. However,
beyond the usual rural/urban divide, the article highlights how the numerical target
conceals a serious problem in the capital city, where 'informal settlements' have
grossly inadequate provision. We argue that the problems are not soluble at the
individual level; a whole and unbreakable chain of provision is needed. Centralised
provision is also not very feasible in Rwanda, so Government and/or development
partners will probably have to work at the level of communities to set up sanitation
chains and train communities in servicing them. Solving the problem is essential if the
urban poor are to be offered a decent life and to solve the public health problem of
contaminated water.