Government to roll out mass mobile ID registration drive in 11 days
The CS noted that policy interventions by the ministry had improved access to identification services, particularly among marginalised communities. These include President William Ruto’s directive removing the additional vetting process for Kenyans living in border counties, which has already benefited many.
The state is set to roll out a mass national identity card (ID) registration drive, targeting over one million Kenyans who have attained the age of 18 within the next 11 days.
The exercise will focus on the Northern, Eastern and some parts of the Coast regions to ensure that communities historically left out can access this vital document.
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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen made the announcement on Friday after a working visit to the National Registration Bureau Headquarters in Nairobi. He said that reforms in the issuance of IDs, such as the scrapping of the previously mandatory vetting process, had already led to an increase in uptake among affected communities.
Murkomen added that the accelerated registration is part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s commitment to ensure no Kenyan is excluded from access to essential services.
“We are working very hard to ensure Kenyans who are not registered, and those seeking replacements, are assisted in record time. Starting next week, we will roll out the mobile registration programme in pastoralist areas,” he said.
The CS noted that policy interventions by the ministry had improved access to identification services, particularly among marginalised communities. These include President William Ruto’s directive removing the additional vetting process for Kenyans living in border counties, which has already benefited many.
Other measures include the free issuance of IDs for Not Previously Registered (NPR) persons and the scrapping of verification fees for birth certificates.
Murkomen explained that these policy directions have enhanced efficiency in service delivery and made identification services more accessible to the mwananchi. He also sought to allay security concerns arising from the president’s directive, assuring the public that safeguards are in place to prevent fraudulent access to IDs.
“The security checks put in place are to ensure no one in Kenya can get an ID if they do not deserve one, including cases where some Kenyans want to have an extra ID to change their age, sometimes they want an ID, yet they are registered as refugees unprocedurally,” he said.
He added that with the use of the latest technology, Kenyans can now acquire IDs within minutes, with delivery to registration centres taking between three and seven days.
Murkomen directed the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services to sustain mobile registration until the government procures over 300 additional live capture machines within the next three months, which will cover all 1,450 wards nationwide.
Meanwhile, over 400,000 national identity cards remain uncollected, with duplicates accounting for more than 270,000.
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