From second hand electronics to poisonous waste: Where Rwanda’s e-waste controls still fall short
When Mbanabo Mushumba Eric splits to pieces broken televisions and expired computers in a jam-packed repair hub in Kigali, he works with bare hands and no protective gear. To extract copper, he burns cables in the open air, inhaling thick smoke that irritates his eyes and chest. His experience exposes the critical gaps between Rwanda’s growing e-waste control framework and the reality on the ground, where second-hand electronics still end their life as dangerous waste in informal spaces.
“Sometimes I feel dizzy, but this is how I earn a living,” he says.