The ICT bus project, an initiative being implemented by the Rwanda Information and Technology Authority (RITA) will commence late this year, The New Times has learnt. The programme to be coordinated through the e-Rwanda project will use two buses with fully built computer laboratories in each of them, will tour all districts in the country, beginning with Burera and Gisagara . They will act as mobile telecentres that will help bridge the digital divide affecting the rural population. “They will be mobile computer laboratories that will benefit farmers, traders, students, women youth groups, entrepreneurs and other rural based Rwandans,” says Wilson Muyenzi the project manager e-Rwanda project. The developments comes in the wake of Government’s efforts in transforming the country from an agrarian to a knowledge- based economy , in which ICT will play a central role. More than seventy percent of the Rwandan private sector is composed of small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) of which the bigger percentage dwells in rural areas. The ICT bus project will help rural farmers, micro and SMEs narrow the huge digital divide between them and big companies based in urban and main towns. Muyenzi adds that the project will play a great role in reducing the internet access gap and digital divide in rural areas where there is no electric power and access to ICT. Ends
