GASABO - The long awaited national identity cards (Indangamuntu) are to be launched today at the National Identification Project offices in Kimihurura, Pascal Nyamurinda said.

Nyamurinda, the National ID Project Coordinator, said the launch will be presided over by President Paul Kagame and will pave way to issuing them countrywide.

Officials had stressed that the production and printing of Kigali City IDs would be finalised in April and that issuing would start in May.

Nyamurinda added that the launch will also see some citizens and residents of Nyarugenge district receive their Ids.

"The exercise will thereafter continue throughout Kigali (Kicukiro and Gasabo Districts) following the same order just like that of registration and photographing exercises,” he continued.

Earlier, it had been revealed that the cards were ready by the end of last month (June) but the issuing was awaiting the passing of the law regarding citizenship and nationality before an official launch.

The Minister for Local Government, Protais Musoni, confirmed that the law regarding citizenship and nationality had been passed on Monday and so the launch is today.

A total of 495,000 people had their photos taken for the new electronic identity cards in Kigali city alone. 9,043,580 people registered for the national Identity Cards countrywide.

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