NIDA Director General Josephine Mukesha said the program, which was previously conducted in the districts of Huye, Gisagara, Nyanza, Muhanga, Ruhango, and Kamonyi, will now continue in Kigali.
The enrollment process in the city is expected to take seven weeks. Each week, NIDA teams will operate in two to three sectors per district before moving to the next, depending on Kigali’s layout. Multiple registration sites may be set up in each sector to accommodate residents efficiently.
During the first week, enrollment is taking place in 17 sites across Nyakabanda, Rwezamenyo, and Gitega sectors in Nyarugenge District; 14 sites in Kimihurura and Kacyiru sectors in Gasabo District; and 12 sites in Niboyi, Kagarama, and Kicukiro sectors in Kicukiro District.
Mukesha emphasised that services will also be available on weekends to ensure citizens who work during weekdays can participate.
“We encourage parents to come and register themselves and their children. Weekend services allow parents with school-going children to accompany them without missing work,” she said.
Operating hours will generally begin at 7 a.m., with some sites extending into the evening, depending on coordination with district authorities.
Residents verifying their identities will need their parents’ National ID numbers or, for married individuals, their spouse’s ID number. Mukesha noted that challenges have included parents failing to register their children in the civil registry and outdated information for spouses. She urged residents to ensure records are up to date at the village level before attending enrollment.
NIDA has also made it possible for individuals with smartphones to verify their information online via the Irembo platform, reducing time spent at enrollment sites. “When citizens arrive at a site, the process should take no more than 10 minutes,” Mukesha said.
The Digital ID will be issued to Rwandans, foreign residents, refugees, asylum seekers, children born out of wedlock, migrants, and stateless persons residing in Rwanda.
IDs will be available in physical card form, as a QR code that can be stored on a phone or computer, and as a unique “token” number to access personal information. Physical IDs will no longer be required for accessing services.
Biometric identifiers include fingerprints, all ten fingers, and facial recognition. Children under five will receive an ID with a photo only, while full biometric data collection will begin from age five.
The program, which began in 2023, is part of a larger project in partnership with the World Bank, with an investment of approximately 200 billion Rwandan francs. The Digital ID is expected to be fully rolled out by July 2026.
Leave a Reply