Rwanda’s digital ID: Empowering citizens while protecting privacy
4 min read
By Telesphore KABERUKA
Rwanda is on the brink of a major digital transformation with the rollout of a nationwide biometric digital identification system, expected to go live in June 2026. The initiative, enabled by a 2023 law, seeks to modernize identity management, enhance service delivery, strengthen data protection, and extend inclusion to populations historically left out of the national registry.
As of November 20, 2025, more than 300,000 people had registered for the digital ID, with the full project expected to cost slightly over €50 million. Josephine Mukesha, Director General of the National Identification Agency (NIDA), provided clarifications to help people understand the rationale, implementation plan, and privacy safeguards.
“The digital ID is designed to make service delivery easier and more secure, particularly for remote interactions,” Mukesha explained. “Unlike the physical ID, which often requires presence at service points, the digital ID allows authentication online, in compliance with eKYC standards and Rwanda’s personal data protection and privacy law. Every individual will retain control over their personal data and must provide consent before any access.”
The system expands eligibility by issuing IDs from birth, rather than starting at 16, and includes groups previously excluded, such as asylum seekers, stateless persons, and long-term immigrants. “We want everyone to have an official identity, because identity is the foundation of access to services,” Mukesha said.
Security and privacy are central to the system. Service providers will authenticate users through facial recognition, iris scans, and fingerprints, while children under five will only have a photograph taken. Users may also verify their identity through one-time passwords, allowing services to be completed fully online.
“Privacy is built into every aspect of this system,” Mukesha emphasized. “For example, if someone enters a nightclub, they only need to show their photo and age. For national exams, they can include their name. The digital ID ensures that citizens share only what is strictly necessary for the service requested.”
Mukesha addressed concerns linking the digital ID to control or prophecy-related fears: “From the paper Ibuku to the current ID card, Rwanda’s identity systems have evolved with technology. There is no hidden agenda. The digital ID simply improves security and service access for all citizens.”
“Rwanda’s system was developed with lessons from Estonia, Singapore, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya”, she said. In addition, biometric data will be securely stored, allowing users to access services even if they lose their ID or forget their number. “If someone forgets their digital ID number, it can be instantly recovered at a service centre or via Irembo, eliminating the delays associated with replacing physical cards.”
Diaspora members can pre-enroll online via Irembo and later complete biometric enrollment at Rwandan embassies, during outreach missions, or when visiting NIDA in Rwanda.
Progress is already underway. Pre-enrollment was piloted at the 2025 Expo, and biometric registration is ongoing in Huye, Gisagara, and Nyanza districts in the southern Rwanda. The core digital ID system is under procurement, and the authentication platform, AMBAS, is at the contracting stage. Nationwide data collection is expected to conclude by June 2026, after which residents will receive their Single Digital Identification (SDID) number.
The system also allows updates and corrections. “Citizens can correct misspelled names, wrong birth dates, incomplete parental information, or outdated marital status through supporting documents,” Mukesha explained. Legal procedures will govern name changes and marital status updates, including cases of divorce or adopting a spouse’s name.
The entire rollout, estimated at over €50 million, covers system development, biometric kits, data collection, and supporting infrastructure. Funding comes from the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project, supported by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Rwanda’s digital ID initiative is more than a modernization of identity management, it is a cornerstone of the country’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) development. Josephine Mukesha, Director General of NIDA, emphasized the role of the system in enabling secure, accessible public services: “We want everyone to have an official identity, because identity is the foundation of access to services.” She emphasized that by providing secure, verifiable, and universally accessible digital identities, the system underpins e-governance, mobile financial services, social protection programs, and a range of online public services.
Mukesha also highlighted the privacy safeguards that are central to Rwanda’s DPI vision: “Privacy is built into every aspect of this system… The digital ID ensures that citizens share only what is strictly necessary for the service requested.” The digital ID’s nationwide rollout, funded through the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project and supported by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, demonstrates how investment in digital identity serves as a building block for the country’s integrated, citizen-centered digital infrastructure.
As Mukesha urged residents, “Embrace and enroll. Confirm your information through the available channels, including Irembo. Also pre-enroll your dependents, your children or anyone under your legal guardianship. This is a system built for your convenience, security, and protection”.
” By combining inclusivity, security, and privacy, Rwanda’s digital ID exemplifies how carefully designed DPI can strengthen governance and unlock a digital economy for all citizens,” notes Karumuna Steven, a digital right advocate based in Kigali City.
