On 24 April 2026, Transparency International Rwanda (TI-Rwanda) convened a National High-Level Evening Meeting in Kigali to disseminate findings from the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study on the Imibereho Social Registry and E-Payment Systems in Rwanda.
The meeting brought together government officials, development partners, and civil society representatives to reflect on ways to strengthen transparency, accountability, and service delivery in Rwanda’s social protection programmes.
This national event followed a series of high-level provincial dissemination meetings held on 22 April 2026 across all four provinces. Conducted concurrently, these dialogues engaged key stakeholders, including provincial leaders, district mayors and vice mayors, Executive Secretaries, Directors of Good Governance, and Directors of Social Protection. Representatives from GIZ Rwanda also participated in these discussions.
Building on the KAP findings, both the national and provincial engagements provided a vital platform to identify and discuss actionable measures to address gaps and challenges affecting the effective implementation of the Imibereho Social Registry and e-payment systems. The discussions also emphasized the importance of strengthening citizen participation and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
A brief on the National High-Level Evening Meeting
In his opening remarks, TI-Rwanda Executive Director, Apollinaire Mupiganyi, acknowledged Rwanda’s significant progress in strengthening social protection systems. However, he noted that the KAP study reveals persistent gaps that require collective attention.
He emphasized the need to enhance citizen awareness and understanding of the system, build trust through increased transparency, and improve access to grievance and appeal mechanisms to ensure more responsive and inclusive service delivery.
Speaking at the meeting, Marie von Kirchmann, Technical Advisor at GIZ Rwanda, underscored the importance of partnerships in advancing social protection systems. She highlighted that digital solutions such as e-payment systems can improve efficiency and reduce risks in service delivery. At the same time, she stressed that citizen trust, inclusion, and accessibility must remain central to implementation, noting that sustained collaboration between government institutions and partners is key to achieving long-term impact.
Delivering remarks as Guest of Honor, Godfrey Kayigana, Director General of Social Affairs and Community Development at the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), reaffirmed the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to strengthening the Imibereho Social Registry as a cornerstone for equitable and effective service delivery. He emphasized that accurate and transparent household data is essential to ensuring fairness in social protection programmes and highlighted the importance of evidence and stakeholder feedback in guiding ongoing reforms.
A snapshot of findings
Overall, the KAP findings indicate a generally positive perception of the ongoing reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness, transparency and efficiency of Rwanda’s social protection system.
A large majority of respondents reported being aware of the Imibereho Social Registry, and many recognised its importance compared to the previous Ubudehe categorisation system.
Similarly, attitudes towards e-payment systems are largely favourable, with most respondents considering electronic payments to be faster, more secure and more efficient than cash-based modalities.
The study highlights important gaps between awareness of these systems and their practical use. Although the Imibereho Social Registry is designed as a dynamic system that allows continuous updating of household information, the findings show that most respondents have not yet actively updated their information.
Limited awareness of grievance mechanisms and varying levels of exposure to sensitisation activities further suggest that communication and user support remain important components of successful implementation.
As a baseline study, the results provide an important reference point for tracking progress in citizen awareness, confidence and engagement with digital social protection systems over time.
Strengthening communication on procedures, improving user experience and reinforcing citizen engagement mechanisms may contribute to ensuring that the Imibereho-DSR and VUP e-payment systems fully achieve their intended objectives of improving targeting accuracy, transparency and efficiency in the delivery of social protection programmes.