Rwanda backs use of IDs as travel papers
Photo/FILE
An aerial view of Rwanda's capital Kigali. It is the only EAC state that has machine readable national identity cards.
Rwanda has said it prefers East Africans to use national identification cards when travelling in the region.
The country’s minister for East African Community Affairs Ms Monique Mukaruliza said countries that had opted to use national IDs as travel documents should go ahead and formalise the procedure.
“The EAC secretariat has to put in place a forum for those partner states which have agreed to use national IDs for the movement of their citizens across the region,” she said.
Ms Mukaruliza made the plea in Kigali on Tuesday at a meeting with new EAC secretary general, Dr Richard Sezibera.
The minister said free movement of people and labour would facilitate implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol which came into force in July last year.
Tanzania has objected to the use of national IDs as travel documents, insisting only passports and other internationally recognised travel documents should continue to be used.
Rwanda is the only EAC state that has machine readable national identity cards while Uganda is reported to have started issuing its own.
