Dr. Eric Nizeyimana, an alumnus of the African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT), launched the CleanCity IoT Device on October 10. The system is designed to monitor air pollution in Kigali as part of efforts to address Rwanda’s growing environmental challenges.

The device was developed under the project titled “Leveraging IoT Mobile Networks for Urban Air Quality Insights in Rwanda,” which seeks to tackle air pollution—an urgent issue in Rwanda’s urban areas that currently lack adequate infrastructure for real-time and widespread pollutant monitoring.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Nizeyimana explained that the CleanCity IoT Project aims to bridge this gap by deploying IoT-enabled devices on vehicles to collect, transmit, and analyze air quality data across Kigali.

“The main purpose of the project was to build an IoT system for monitoring air pollution in Kigali. The device has been developed and is now ready for installation on vehicles,” he said.

In his remarks, on behalf of the Principal of the College of Science and Technology, Prof. Richard Musabe said the initiative will be highly beneficial to Kigali and its surrounding areas

The project, funded by the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), builds on Dr. Nizeyimana’s PhD research and aligns with Rwanda’s Smart City and environmental sustainability goals.

Eddah Barasa, Research Grants Officer at the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) under PASET, praised the initiative for its innovative use of technology and potential impact.

During the launch event, participants shared feedback and suggestions to enhance the device’s efficiency and performance.

Participants to the launch were representatives from academia, government, and industry including REMA, Meteo Rwanda, Greenalytics, FONERWA, NCST, AIMS, 2Guiz SPRL (Belgium), and local drivers who will host the IoT devices for data collection.