As we celebrate Customer Service Week, I am reminded of the incredible journey Irembo has been on over the past decade. At the heart of this journey are the Rwandans we serve, the citizens whose daily lives we aim to simplify through technology. Our mission has always been simple yet profound; to build products that meaningfully improve people’s lives.
Reflecting on where we started, it’s clear that we have made significant strides. From an era when accessing public services required multiple trips to government offices and long waiting periods, we now offer digital solutions that provide many essential services in under 24 hours. This shift is more than just about digitisation—it’s about empowering citizens by making public services accessible and efficient.
This digital transformation is built on the belief that public service delivery should be efficient and empowering for citizens to access conveniently and confidently. Since our founding in 2014, we have been on a journey of continuous improvement, always striving to create a truly digital society. However, our progress has been far from perfect. The road has been filled with challenges, but each one has pushed us to improve, refine our approach, and to better understand the needs of our users. When we first partnered with the Government of Rwanda to launch IremboGov in 2015, it was a bold step into uncharted territory. Today, with over 220 services now available online, we’ve made it easier to access services like applying for birth certificates or land transfers. Yet, we are fully aware that our work is far from finished.
Our vision of a truly digital society is an ongoing journey, and we remain committed to continuous improvement. Every day, we ask ourselves how we can do better and bring our users closer to a seamless, reliable digital experience.
Beyond digitising government services, our focus has been on building trust and creating user-friendly experiences. A vital part of that is IremboPay, a secure payment platform that has transformed how citizens make payments. Whether it’s through mobile money, bank transfers, or credit cards, our goal has been to ensure convenience and security at every step. But convenience alone is not enough—trust, reliability, and ease of use create lasting value.
Listening to our users is a crucial aspect of delivering these experiences. Their feedback drives our innovation and informs our strategy. Our Department of Customer Experience and Service Distribution is at the forefront of this, ensuring that every interaction is seamless and that support is always within reach. Whether through call centers, WhatsApp, social media, or our agent network, we strive to be there for our users when they need us most. We are also deeply committed to building digital literacy through our Irembo Academy and other outreach programmes, ensuring that we bring our users along with us as we evolve.
We know that the future holds even more opportunities for growth and innovation. As we look ahead, our focus will remain on improving personalisation and user experience. We want to create products that not only meet the needs of today’s citizens but also anticipate the needs of tomorrow.
What we have learned over the years is that placing users at the center of our work leads to better service delivery while fostering trust and engagement between citizens and their government. This focus on customers has been essential to our growth, guiding us in creating scalable solutions that serve as a model for improving service. As other nations look toward digital transformation, our journey offers insights into how service-driven innovation can contribute to societal development.
Today, we are celebrating 10 years of Irembo, and we take pride in how far we have come but remain humble about the journey ahead. We know there is still much work to be done, and we are excited about the future. We invite all Rwandans to join us as we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and service delivery, working together to build a more connected, empowered society.
At the heart of everything we do are our users and citizens, who inspire us to keep moving forward. Thank you for being part of this journey.
The writer is the Director of Customer Experience and Service Distribution at Irembo.