The government plans to spend Rwf12.2 billion in 2025/2026 on the national digital identification and authentication project, an initiative aimed at giving every citizen a single digital identity. This was revealed by the Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, who recently appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on State Budget and Patrimony to present her ministry’s spending priorities in the next fiscal year. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s $40m digital ID project 'back on track' - official tells lawmakers “This is a project which will cost a total budget of Rwf54.2bn,” the minister told MPs. “In the 2024/2025 fiscal year, we had allocated Rwf5.3 billion for the project, but delays in the tendering process for upgrading the Single Digital Identification System (SDID) core system caused setbacks. However, by the end of June, we expect to reach planned activities for this fiscal year,” she explained. ALSO READ: Six things to know about Rwanda’s proposed digital ID The Single Digital Identification System is designed to unify the identity of every Rwandan for easy access to services such as banking, government programs, mobile registration, among others. Yves Iradukunda, the Permanent Secretary in the ICT Ministry, explained that the delays were mainly due to procurement issues, but these are now being resolved. “We’re finalizing contracts with bidders, and implementation will move forward without further disruption,” he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s Digital ID: Iris scans, fingerprints help recovery when lost He noted that the next phase involves important groundwork, setting up infrastructure and launching field operations to register people nationwide, collecting biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans. The registration process is scheduled to begin in June 2025. “This is a foundational step, we’re laying the groundwork to eventually include every citizen in a secure national registry,” Iradukunda said. The project is being rolled out in four phases, with feasibility studies already completed and the ministry currently working on a pre-enrollment system to process civil registry data and adapt it to digital formats. The final phase of building the core ID system is underway, with procurement documents already issued and bidders submitting proposals. ALSO READ: Digital IDs could save Africa $50bn annually, report shows To ensure that every Rwandan receives a digital ID, the ministry has outlined a broad strategy. A Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) system will anchor the digital identity’s security, while modern ICT upgrades will provide the capacity to manage millions of secure registrations. Registration centers equipped with biometric kits will be established across the country. These will include user-friendly enrollment systems, identity verification tools, and digital civil archives for instant document checks. Special provisions will be made for remote and marginalized populations through mobile units and multilingual support desks. According to David Byabagamba, a planning specialist at MINICT, the system’s backbone will be the automated biometric identification system (ABIS), which guarantees that each ID is unique and core functions will include biometric de-duplication, real-time authentication, and secure ID card printing. “To boost public trust and participation, a national communication campaign will explain how the system works, the benefits of digital identity, privacy protections, and support available throughout the process,” he added.
