The 2025 September–December rainy season has not been favorable in some parts of the country, where residents report severe drought and little hope for rainfall, as weather forecasts indicate that rains will remain below normal throughout December 2025.

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency reports that in December 2025, Rwanda is expected to receive between 40 and 200 millimeters of rainfall, slightly below the long-term average for this month (which ranges between 60 and 230 millimeters).

According to the agency, rainfall during the first and second weeks of December is expected to remain below the usual average, while the third week is projected to receive near-normal rainfall.

These projections come at a time when some parts of the country have not received the expected season’s rains. Residents of Ndego Sector in Kayonza District and Nyabitekeri Sector in Nyamasheke District say they are facing hunger with no hope of harvesting anything in the coming months, as reported by TV1 and Imvaho Nshya.

In Ndego and surrounding sectors, residents have appeared on television asking the Government for food assistance and irrigation support, noting that the usual September–December rains have been absent since the beginning of 2025.

In Nyabitekeri, residents have already begun uprooting their withered crops to feed them to livestock, believing the crops have dried beyond recovery—even if rain were to fall immediately.

They report that while neighboring sectors are receiving rainfall, Nyabitekeri has remained dry. As a result, crops such as beans, maize, sweet potatoes, soya, groundnuts, taro, tomatoes, and others are expected to yield nothing this season.

Measures taken

In an interview with KIGALIINFO, Eugène Kwibuka, the Communications Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), said that households that failed to harvest during this agricultural Season A will be given food assistance until they can plant again and obtain a new harvest. He added that residents of Ndego have already begun receiving this support.

“Food supplies are available in storage, and we have already started distributing them to households that need them. Each year, we purchase and stock food so that when farmers lose their harvest, we can provide them with food for a few months—often for up to three months—so that they can plant vegetables, beans, sweet potatoes, and other fast-growing or drought-tolerant crops to sustain themselves,” Kwibuka explained.

He added that MINAGRI continues to strengthen the KIIWP project, which supports irrigation for crops and livestock in drought-prone sectors of Kayonza District. He also reminded farmers that the Government provides a subsidy enabling them to purchase irrigation equipment at half the usual market price.

Kwibuka further encouraged young people implementing projects for climate-resilient livestock fodder and hydroponic fodder production to apply for startup capital, especially in Eastern Province, which frequently experiences low rainfall.

The KIIWP project, jointly implemented by the Government of Rwanda and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has a budget of over RWF 71 billion and runs from 2021 to 2028.

Temperature outlook for December 2025

Meteo Rwanda also announced that daytime maximum temperatures in December 2025 are expected to range from 19°C to 31°C, slightly higher than the long-term average for December.

Typically, daytime temperatures in December range between 20°C and 29°C, according to the agency.

Night-time minimum temperatures are forecast to range between 6°C and 18°C, remaining within the usual December range.

The agency added that the country should expect moderate to strong winds this month, with speeds ranging from 4 to 12 meters per second, affecting various parts of Rwanda.