Rwanda: IremboGov, the Irembo partnership and RRA e-Tax
- Contract signed
- July 2015, through the Rwanda Development Board, as reported by KT Press 1
- Services listed
- 106 public services, provider page 3
- Example fees (2019)
- RWF 500 for a birth certificate, as reported by KT Press 1
IremboGov: the system
Irembo says it introduced IremboGov in 2015 and that the platform lets people "access over 100 public services anytime, anywhere and on any device" 3. The company page gives a figure of 106 public services and describes Irembo as a partner to over 20 public agencies 3. In 2019 The New Times reported about 98 services on the platform 2.
Irembo runs a payment product, IremboPay, which it says is designed to "accept payments from diverse channels" 3. The company reports that 45% of users pay for services online 3. The citizen portal is at irembo.gov.rw 4.
An IMF working paper published in 2023 says IremboGov processes applications and payments for public services, including by mobile money, and handled about 300,000 service requests a month in early 2020 7.
Who built it and the partnership model
KT Press reported on 31 January 2019 that the government, through the Rwanda Development Board, signed a 25-year contract in July 2015 with Rwanda Online, a private local technology company that designs and operates the portal 1. The New Times reported on 6 August 2019 that the partnership is between the Government of Rwanda and Irembo Platform Ltd, which it described as a local technology company 2.
Irembo's chief executive Faith Keza told The New Times that "The Government has invested a lot in infrastructure and prepared the ground" and that the company brought "the ability to attract talent capacity and innovate" 2.
Fees and how money flows
KT Press reported in 2019 that Rwanda Online records transactions and forwards them to the RRA 1. It listed these fees at the time 1.
What changed for payers
KT Press cited spokesperson Jules Ntabwoba as saying the platform processed 5,932,314 transactions over about three years and 258,243 in December 2018 1.
The New Times reported on 20 September 2019 that people paying Community-based Health Insurance (Mutuelle de Sante) through Irembo complained about extra charges imposed by Irembo 8. This site did not find an audit office or court finding on Irembo.
Rwanda Revenue Authority systems
The RRA website links to e-Tax for declaring domestic taxes, a motor vehicle road maintenance levy declaration, local government tax portals, and a separate portal for non-tax payments 5. The 2026 road levy and property tax are due by 31 December 2026, the RRA says 5.
Taxpayers log in to e-Tax with a TIN and password, or create an account 6. The RRA site links to EBM services, MyRRA, tax compliance certificate requests and the Electronic Single Window 5.
Common questions
Who owns Irembo?
Irembo is a private company operating IremboGov under a 25-year partnership with the government, as reported by The New Times 2.
How much does Irembo charge?
KT Press reported fees of RWF 500 for birth and marriage certificates in 2019 1.
Where do I pay Rwandan taxes online?
Domestic taxes are declared on the RRA e-Tax portal, and non-tax payments go through a separate RRA portal 5,6.
How many services are on IremboGov?
Irembo lists 106 public services 3.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- KT Press, Dan Ngabonziza: Untold Story of Irembo, Rwanda's One Stop Centre for Gov't Services (31 January 2019)
- The New Times, Julius Bizimungu: Experts push for private investments in public service digitisation projects (6 August 2019)
- Irembo: company website (provider page)
- IremboGov: citizen services portal
- Rwanda Revenue Authority: official website
- Rwanda Revenue Authority: e-Tax portal
- IMF: Fintech Payments in Public Financial Management, Benefits and Risks, Working Paper WP/23/20 (2023)
- The New Times, Brendah Barungi and Come Emmanuel Mugisha: Mutuelle users decry extra charges by Irembo (20 September 2019)
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