KIGALI - Officials from the National ID Project announced over the weekend that within a month, the old identity cards will expire, paving way for the use of the new electronic IDs. 

In a live radio and television programme on Sunday, the officials called upon Rwandans who have not received new IDs to do so as soon as possible saying that some of them are already available at their respective sectors.

Initially, about 5,1 million Rwandans were supposed to get photographed for the electronic IDs, but only 4, 8 million have so far turned up in the past two phases.

According to Augustin Kampayana, in charge of public awareness at the NID, people need to always register so as to facilitate the flow of information about the population growth.

"This year we expect to make more than 600,000 IDs,” Kampayana said, explaining that the figure increased due to refugees who returned home and youths who turned 16, the legal age to acquire a national ID.

Many of the issues raised by members of the public reflected concerns about the delay to get a new ID once it is lost or when something needs to be rectified about it.

It was explained that the first step to take after losing an ID is to make a declaration to the local authority, and then start the process of acquiring another one.

The Director of the National ID Project, Pascal Nyamurinda, said that there are forms to be filled in such cases.

"This is a National ID and it is binding nationwide,” he said, adding that Rwf 500 is the only legal price to pay for the new ID.

The new electronic ID contains most of the bearer’s information, a fact that will ease access to different public services.

Nkubito Bakuramutsa of the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA), explained during the talk show that the process to make the new ID was carried out through three main phases; namely information capture, data processing and saving into the system, and the card production.

He also noted that they are working on a smart card, which will have the capacity to speed up services in everyday life because it will reveal all the holder’s status and information.

"Swiping the smart card into the machine will be enough for any service because all your information will be stored into the system,” Bakuramutsa explained. He said that Rwanda is the first African country to have successfully processed the electronic IDs.

The National ID Project, operating under Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) is set to take its activities on the sector level, starting April this year to continue issuing IDs.

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