Over two decades ago, Rwanda’s capital Kigali was no place to encourage foreigners to visit.

 

But things have changed since the Rwandan government has pledged to transform the capital into a smart city, unleashing the potential of its citizenry and transforming its public services and businesses through innovation.

 

With a yearly urban growth rate of over 3.5 per cent, Kigali’s urban population is expected to double in less than 20 years. This calls for new ways of development and solutions, to a smart city guaranteeing a better life for citizens.

 

A smart city creates an urban environment that uses innovation and technological potential to transform and improve people’s lives while also generating overall economic growth.

 

In a September 2022 Op-Ed, "Connectivity Critical to Transforming Kigali into a Smart City," Alex Kabeja, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Rwanda, imagined a city that can operate efficiently to improve service delivery for millions of lives.

 

"The kind of city where public transport is fully functional, where traffic lights work and traffic congestion is a thing of the past, where poverty is alleviated and jobs are created, where education and health facilities are performing optimally, where safety and security is no longer a concern, where emergency response is swift and disaster relief aid is accelerated. This is a smart city we all dream of," he noted.

 

Back in the 80s and 90s, he noted, we never thought this was possible in Africa, in our lifetime.

 

"But we were mistaken. The future is here, and smart cities are already taking shape across the globe. Africa is no different, and developing economies are finally being recognised on the global map. This is all thanks to the benefits of connectivity and intelligent technology. Improving and optimising functions of cities remains a top agenda item in most countries and Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, is well on its way to reaching this dream. But the rapid urbanisation taking place there means that this knowledge-based economy is now more crucial than ever before."

 

Meeting urbanisation needs and fast-tracking a smart city is therefore pivotal for Kigali, Kabeja wrote.

 

"But creating this data-driven environment requires connectivity, infrastructure, access to digital technologies and investment. In line with this, the Rwandan government has invested and continues to push the ICT agenda and Liquid Intelligent Technologies - a business of Cassava Technologies – has already begun to carry out the leg work in Kigali."

 

The thought of a smart city in Kigali aligns to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 where connectivity has now been prioritised following Covid-19.

 

At the heart of Smart City Kigali is the drive to enable businesses, public sector organisations, educational institutions, and individuals to leverage technology to create new solutions to urban problems. 

 

Among others, the successful development of Kigali as a smart city is reliant on connectivity infrastructure, private-sector investment and expertise.

 

Irembo, e-Government Portal

 

Among the smart city solutions, Rwanda developed an online e-Government portal known as Irembo that helps people to access over 100 government services online including; but not limited to immigration, health, environment, education, family, agriculture and animal resources, business and investment, justice, as well as sports and entertainment.

 

This reduced long queues, transport costs, time-consuming paperwork, and time spent to get those services in various offices.

 

Smart public transport

 

The Tap & Go e-payment system on public transport buses in Kigali, a cashless mode where passengers pay their bus fares using pre-loaded cards, was introduced in 2015. The initiative extended to motorcycles, with smart meters and cashless payments.

 

These initiatives significantly reduced the number of fraud cases, and cut transaction timing for passengers, while enabling public transport firms to improve operational efficiency.

 

Drone Delivery

 

Rwanda, in partnership with US-based startup Zipline, started  drone delivery services for medical supplies across the country in 2016. The drones deliver blood, medicines, and vaccines to hospitals and health centers.

 

This reduced national blood wastage by 67 percent and in-hospital maternal mortality by 88 percent.

 

These delivery services will expand into e-commerce, food, and veterinary sectors.

 

E-policing services

 

Kigali introduced a range of e-policing services including CCTV cameras connected to a central command center in Kigali, an e-policing strategy that includes online registration of driving licenses, the use of social media for first responders, and speed governors in cars to minimize road accidents.

 

There are also speed cameras that detect over speeding vehicles and Red Light Cameras (RLC) installed on the roads that detect vehicles violating traffic lights and signs.

 

E-Health Services

 

In 2016, Rwanda and Babylon Health launched a digital health care system where patients can access doctors through their mobile devices.

 

Patients register through local mobile networks, with a provided number, and linked to a healthcare professional. They can also interface with health workers via audio and video.

 

4G LTE Rollout

 

Launched in 2014, the fast wireless communication 4G Network now covers more than 98 per cent of the Rwandan population.

 

Rwanda is making waves in the technology world, and plans to roll out 5G networks. This move is expected to impact the Internet of Things (IoT) and bring about a new era of connectivity and innovation.

 

Smart internet connectivity is essential to ease the working and living environment, since 63 per cent of the country’s population is online.

 

Other established smart solutions include; smart street lighting, e-commerce platforms, charging stations for electric vehicles, electronic land title system, rainwater management, and online payments.