The Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT) has reported that between 2023 and 2024, Rwandans requested over 5 million services through the Irembo platform, showcasing the growing adoption of digital services in the country.
Currently, more than 400,000 people have created personal accounts on Irembo, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation efforts. Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, highlighted these figures appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Governance, Gender, and Family Affairs on March 13, 2025.
Minister Ingabire emphasized that the number of citizens using technology to access services is steadily increasing, thanks in part to government initiatives that encourage digital literacy. She shared, “From 2023 to 2024, we saw over 5 million services requested directly by citizens, without needing to visit a service provider in person.”
She added that efforts to raise awareness and train people on using digital platforms have contributed to the rise in these numbers. According to MINICT, about 1.5 million people received in-person training, while over 9 million others were trained online via social media and digital channels.
However, the Minister also acknowledged that there are still challenges, particularly with a significant portion of the population lacking literacy skills, making it harder for them to embrace digital service requests.
Israel Bimpe, the CEO of Irembo shared that the platform serves people from various backgrounds. “91% of users request services through agents, 6% do so independently but with assistance, while only 2.6% handle the process entirely on their own.”
Irembo continues to improve its services, with over 240 paid services now available through the platform, up from more than 600 total services offered online. Bimpe mentioned that the platform is also streamlining procedures to make it easier for citizens to submit required documents, as part of the “Zero Trip Zero Paper” initiative.
This program aims to reduce the number of trips and documents required when accessing government services, making the process more efficient for users.
Recent statistics show that 68.5% of Rwandans aged 10 and above have some level of digital literacy, while 22% of the population uses mobile internet. This highlights the growing use of technology across the country.
Minister Ingabire also revealed a new five-year plan that will run until 2029. The goal is to teach digital skills to over a million young people, empowering them to start businesses and find international job opportunities.
Through initiatives like “Byikorere,” which trains citizens on how to request services online, MINICT is working hard to bridge the digital divide. The program has already reached all 30 districts in Rwanda, with over 180 sectors involved, aiming to increase the number of digital service users.
Bimpe noted that Irembo is constantly improving its platform to make digital services even more accessible. He added, “We are working with partners to ensure that all services provided through Irembo are as simple as possible. If a citizen struggles with submitting documents, we have agents available to assist.”
