SMART Kigali Project is  a deliberate hitech effort by Rwanda Government to empower the people of Rwanda  to access free internet services in Kigali via Wi-fi enabled devices as a move to speed up realization of the Vision 2020 development target to make the country become an East Africa hub and knowledge based economy to attract   Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Before it in 2008 it launched the much hyped “One Laptop per child initiative “ in schools . it has managed by 2013 to have supplied to 400 schools and have benefited more than 200,000 pupils.

The project is a public private partnership and in 2013 the Rwanda Government signed a contract with a South Korean company  to get everything in place and introduce the broadband technology of  4G LGE . Following this positive development the Association of hotels and restaurants owners joined the government effort by declaring that internet services will be wireless and free in Kigali.

The arrangement also included the government agencies and all public places in Kigali enjoyed the free services and was much hailed by the Director of ICT of Rwanda who claimed of better services to people through the internet.

The UN Broad Band Commission is skeptic of the overall success alleging that only 8 percent of Rwanda people benefitted by 2013 by having access.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Nsengumana is adamant saying that the connectivity is as important as water and electricity.

“High Tech Rwanda does not  take off every right to switch off plants and leave from Rwanda of the investors that got involved in the project,”said Nsengumana        in Ventures Magazine to underscore his confidence on the project success and impact made in the partners involved.

He chided the critics by comparing what Rwanda did and the neighbouring Kenya that is also vying to become the technology Hub  of Est Africa. It failed to realize the Konza TechCity despite launching its project two years in advance.

Successes

Following dramatic success the project has led to a bigger one called the Smart Rwanda Master

While business

SMART Rwanda Master Plan (2015 to 2020)

Tis booming with a lot of investors the Government of Rwanda seeks to provide better, faster and more secure services to all Rwandans.

This  requires  a  strong  move  towards  online  services,  better  protection  of  private  information,  more collaboration between government departments, and a change in public service culture. The future of government  ICT  is  not  just  about  technology.  It  is  also  about  how  the  government  uses  information

and  technology  to  deliver  better  services,  create  jobs  and  transform  the  Rwandan  society  and economy in a constantly changing environment.