Rwanda improves vital records with registration drive
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Philomene Nyirambabazi of Nyamugari Cell, Rwanda, recently learned during a digital identity registration exercise that her youngest child, despite her belief, was not officially registered.
As part of a national effort coinciding with African Civil Registration Day, citizens across Rwanda have had the opportunity to register children, correct existing records, and receive digital identification.
The initiative aims to build a complete and accurate record of the population to support national development and improve access to services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure planning. Rwanda has made civil registration easier by digitizing services and offering them free of charge at health facilities and local offices. Citizens can now access many documents through the Irembo platform, reducing travel and wait times.
Minister of Local Government Dominique Habimana emphasized the importance of accurate demographic data for effective government planning and service delivery. Residents like Rafael Munyaneza of Kabacuzi Village have benefited from the drive, correcting errors in their children’s records before digital ID photos were taken. Nyamagabe District was recognized for its success in civil registration, achieving a 95.4 percent score based on birth and death registration rates, but officials noted ongoing challenges with digital access and occasional legal hurdles.
