The issuing exercise of the new national electronic identity cards (Indangamuntu) has proceeded to the Southern Province, the National ID Project Coordinator, Pascal Nyamurinda, revealed yesterday.

In a telephone interview, Pascal Nyamurinda, said that the issuing exercise is currently in the Southern Province in the Districts of Kamonyi, Ruhango and Muhanga.

"The exercise that started in Nyanza district yesterday brings the number to four districts in the province. Because of time, since last week, we have been simultaneously issuing the IDs in the Southern Province and Kigali city,” he explained.

The exercise is supposed to have covered the whole country before the commencement of Parliamentary elections mid next month.

Nyamurinda revealed that reports from District and Sector authorities indicate that about ninety per cent of Kigali residents have turned up to collect their IDs.

The exercise was launched mid last month by President Paul Kagame in Nyarugenge district.

Nyamurinda said that IDs for other provinces except the Western province are almost ready and printed and was optimistic that a bigger percentage of voters will have received theirs by voting day.

He clarified that citizens who may not have got their IDs by election time, especially those in the Western Province will use their old national IDs following government’s permission.

"The Western Province is the last province to have been undergone the photography exercise, therefore for better picture quality and data compilation, we will not rush with the printing,” he explained.

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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