Noëlla Dushime Appointed CEO of Irembo as Ngabe Rutagarama Becomes CTO in Rwanda’s Digital Transformation Leadership Shift
Kigali, Rwanda – October 30, 2026 – Rwanda’s leading technology company, Irembo, has formally transitioned to new leadership, with Noëlla Dushime assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer and Ngabe Rutagarama taking on the position of Chief Technical Officer. The appointments, made by President Paul Kagame, replace Israel Bimpe, who served as CEO for approximately four years.
The formal handover took place on October 30 in the presence of Irembo’s Board of Directors and senior management. The new leaders also held an introductory session with the broader team, discussing the company’s strategic direction, ambitions, and growth opportunities. Irembo publicly thanked Bimpe for his contributions in shaping the organization.
Experienced Leaders Return to Drive Growth
Noëlla Dushime brings deep institutional knowledge and external experience to the CEO role. She previously served as Irembo’s Director of Business and Partnerships, where she engaged with partners and stakeholders on the company’s digital products. She later led global partnerships at Proto, an AI company focused on inclusive, multilingual agents for government and enterprise use cases across Africa, including deployments with Rwanda’s National Bank of Rwanda and public sector partners. Her background centers on GovTech, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships.
In a public statement, Dushime expressed gratitude to President Kagame for the trust placed in her and committed to leading with humility and dedication.
Ngabe Rutagarama joins as CTO with more than 15 years in technology leadership. He previously held the role of Director of IT and Digital Innovation at the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD), along with positions at MTN, Airtel, and earlier at Irembo itself. Colleagues and observers have noted his involvement in the early architecture of Rwanda’s digital platforms dating back to the mid-2010s. He holds a background in computer science and has completed professional education through MIT.
Irembo’s Central Role in Rwanda’s Digital Economy
Founded in Kigali in 2014, Irembo operates as a digital services partner to the Government of Rwanda. Its flagship platform, IremboGov, launched in 2015 as a single gateway for citizens and residents to access public services online via web, mobile, and USSD channels. The platform currently supports more than 200–240 services across civil registration, licensing, health, immigration, and other areas, while also offering IremboPay and related products for digital payments and organizational transformation.
IremboGov has been credited with significantly reducing the time and travel required for government services—saving tens to hundreds of millions of working hours for citizens—while supporting an agent network of several thousand people who assist users in local communities. A substantial share of transactions now occur digitally, contributing to Rwanda’s broader goals of a cashless economy, reduced bureaucracy, and improved public service delivery. The company continues to expand beyond core government services toward private-sector digital transformation solutions.
Bimpe, who joined Irembo as CEO in 2022 after roles at Zipline (including leading African expansion) and prior board service, oversaw continued scaling of the platform and diversification efforts. He also serves as Chairperson of the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency Board.
The dual appointment of Dushime and Rutagarama combines internal familiarity with fresh perspectives from adjacent sectors, including AI-driven citizen engagement and digital innovation in finance and telecoms. Industry observers see the transition as reinforcing continuity for one of Africa’s most established GovTech platforms while positioning Irembo to address evolving demands around service reliability, inclusion, and regional relevance.
Irembo’s mission remains focused on building products that improve access to services and reduce friction in interactions between citizens, businesses, and institutions. With the new leadership in place, the company is expected to advance both the maturation of IremboGov and the development of complementary digital solutions.
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