Rwanda National Police (RNP) along with other institutions have launched a vehicle emission testing campaign to monitor and reduce air pollution caused by vehicle emissions and to ensure compliance with environmental standards.

The campaign was rolled out on Saturday, November 1, at Remera Automobile Inspection Center in Gasabo District.

The nationwide campaign aims to encourage the public to undertake vehicle emission testing as part of broader efforts to reduce air pollution, protect the environment, and safeguard public health.

The event brought together high profile government officials, including the Minister of Environment, Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye, the Minister of State for Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, the Minister of State for Sports, Rwego Ngarambe, and the RNP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Boniface Rutikanga.

In her remarks, Dr. Arakwiye underscored the importance of vehicle inspection in improving the country’s air quality.

“Vehicle inspection is crucial when we consider the state of our air quality as a nation. Our air is not as clean as it should be, and this negatively affects our people—especially the children, the elderly, those with existing health conditions, and even visitors to our country,” she said.

“We are implementing a programme to test vehicle emissions so that we can understand the condition of our vehicles. From that, we can take targeted measures and issue guidelines to help vehicle owners maintain their cars properly and prevent further air pollution”. 

She further encouraged motorists to take advantage of the available testing services.

“Some vehicles fail inspection because they are old or have mechanical problems. That is why we are urging everyone to get their vehicles tested for emissions. The process is simple—if you come for the roadworthiness inspection, you can do the emission test at the same time,” she added.

Minister of State for Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, said that the new vehicle inspection center under construction in Ndera Sector, Gasabo District will increase the capacity to handle a large number of vehicles.

“In partnership with the Rwanda National Police, we are building a modern inspection center in Ndera Sector. This facility will allow us to test more vehicles efficiently and provide faster, high-quality services,” Uwihanganye said.

RNP spokesperson, ACP Boniface Rutikanga explained that emission testing services are available at automobile inspection centers nationwide, ensuring accessibility for all motorists.

“The programme is conducted across all inspection centers in the country so that citizens do not have to travel long distances just to have their vehicles tested for emissions,” ACP Rutikanga said.

RNP operates automobile inspection centres in Gasabo, Rwamagana, Musanze and Huye districts as well as a mobile lane.

“All applications are made through Irembo (the national e-service platform). Applicants choose the date and time, receive confirmation on their phones, and come for testing at their scheduled appointment.”

He added that emission testing will now be integrated with the existing roadworthiness system to streamline services.

“The goal is to synchronize both services so that when a vehicle inspection certificate expires, the owner can book both the roadworthiness inspection and the emissions test together. This saves time and ensures that both processes are completed at the same time,” he explained.