Rwanda’s digital identity scheme is making progress toward its planned June 2026 rollout, with 300,000 now registered for the scheme, according to Josephine Mukesha, Director General of the National Identification Agency (NIDA).
Mukesha said that “key components are already underway” for the ID, including nationwide data collection and biometric enrollment. Once enrollment is completed, citizens will begin receiving their Single Digital Identity (SDID) numbers.
Mukesha added that these preparations for the €50 million ($57 million) project, which “aims to improve service delivery by enabling secure remote interactions,” are expected to be concluded by the proposed June 2026 rollout date.
The legislative framework for Rwanda’s digital ID was laid in 2023 when Parliament gave the green light to revising a draft law that allowed the government to start issuing digital ID cards for Rwandans, stateless persons, and children at birth.
However, it wasn’t until earlier this year that the project really kicked into gear, as the country started registering its citizens for the digital ID. In September, biometric data collection began, with NIDA calling on all citizens to “get ready and embrace the new digital ID.”
Mukesha said that NIDA had studied other digital ID projects when coming up with its own plan, including Estonia’s much lauded digital “ID-card.”
She also answered various questions on the ID scheme, including on certain topics that have hampered progress toward digital IDs in other countries, such as how privacy and data protection will be guaranteed.
On this, the NIDA Director General said that the system allows users to choose which data to share, depending on the service. “For example, if someone enters a nightclub, they only need to show their photo and age,” she said.
Addressing another common concern related to digital IDs, government surveillance, Mukesha argued that Rwanda’s scheme is simply the “latest stage in the evolution of identification systems” in the country.
“From the historical paper-based Ibuku to the current ID card, identity systems have changed with technology,” she said. “There is no hidden intention behind the digital ID; it is merely meant to improve security and service access.”
Mukesha also highlighted the benefits a digital ID provides, noting that it enables remote identity verification and expands who can receive an ID.
“It will be issued from birth, unlike the current ID, which starts at age 16,” she said. “It also includes groups previously left out, such as asylum seekers, stateless persons in border areas, and immigrants who have been living in Rwanda without formal identification.”
Mukesha also addressed what happens if someone loses their digital ID or forgets their number. “Because the system stores secure biometrics, users can still access services using their fingerprints, iris, or face,” she explained. “If they forget their digital ID number, they can recover it instantly at a service centre.”
According to the NIDA chief, this avoids the delays associated with replacing lost physical IDs. Mukesha concluded her interview by calling on all residents of Rwanda to embrace, enroll, and confirm their information.
