More than 1.8 million people (1,828,763) have so far been photographed and registered under Rwanda’s new digital national ID project, according to the Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
The e-ID will be a single, permanent digital identity assigned to every Rwandan from birth. It will securely connect citizens to both public and private services. The government plans to reach at least 15 million people, including Rwandans and foreign residents such as refugees and migrants. The project has so far cost over $50 million.
Registration has been completed in nine districts, including pilot districts Huye, Nyanza, and Gisagara, as well as Kamonyi, Muhanga, Ruhango, Nyarugenge, Gasabo, and Kicukiro. Biometric data collection is expected to be completed nationwide by the end of 2026, with ID issuance beginning in August 2026 for those already registered.
The digital ID will:
- Be issued at birth through the civil registration system (CRVS).
- Be used for school enrollment, vaccinations, and healthcare.
- Help youth access exams, university services, driving permits, and first employment.
Support adults in accessing banking, taxes, land services, marriage registration, voting, business services, pensions, and healthcare.
In healthcare, it will link insurance, medical records, prescriptions, and vaccines. In education, it will track a student’s journey from primary school to graduation.
To protect privacy, officials emphasized that:
- The system will not be used for daily surveillance.
- Only necessary data will be shared (for example, a bank can verify someone is 18 without seeing their exact birthdate).
- Citizens can withdraw access permissions at any time.
- Data breaches must be reported within 72 hours under Rwanda’s data protection law.
- People can request corrections or compensation if their data is misused.
Three formats of the digital ID will be available:
- A physical smart card with a QR code.
- A digital ID number linked to biometric verification.
- A secure token number used for online transactions.
For citizens without smartphones, services will also be accessible through USSD, physical cards, and district-level support staff.
Senators welcomed the project, saying it will reduce paperwork, speed up service delivery, and modernize Rwanda’s public systems. However, they stressed the need for reliable and fast internet nationwide to ensure the system works effectively.
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