New era in Wajir as students celebrate as ID cards arrive just one week after registration

In a move reinforcing the government’s decision to scrap the controversial vetting process and speed up the issuance of national identity cards, hundreds of students in Wajir County celebrated today as they received their IDs—just one week after registration.

Most of the students from Wajir Secondary School were registered last week during the Ministry of Interior and National Administration’s Jukwaa la Usalama visit to the county.

The registration exercise was carried out by the National Registration Bureau (NRB) using modern Live Capture Unit (LCU) technology. The system has significantly improved the efficiency and accessibility of ID registration, particularly in remote and historically marginalised areas.

In a colourful ceremony today, the students were officially issued their ID cards. The event was presided over by Wajir County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo, assisted by Wajir County Registrar Galgalo Ofole, alongside other NRB officials.

Major milestone

This development marks a major milestone in the government’s efforts to address long-standing concerns of marginalisation in Kenya’s border counties.

The reforms follow a directive issued earlier this year by President William Ruto, who ordered an end to the vetting process that had for years been applied selectively in North Eastern Kenya. The practice was widely criticised for disenfranchising residents and making it difficult for many—especially young people—to obtain national IDs.

"Following the scrapping of extra vetting requirements to register for IDs in border counties and the removal of fees charged on first-time applications, more people are turning up to register," said Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen in a statement.

The Cabinet Secretary noted that Kenyans can now receive their ID cards within three to seven days of registration—a dramatic improvement compared to the weeks or even months of waiting previously experienced.

"This is a new era for the people of North Eastern Kenya. These IDs are not just cards—they are keys to opportunity, access, and full citizenship," said Abdi Billow, a human rights activist in Wajir.

Abdi added that the region had suffered for years from delays in ID issuance and corruption tied to a discriminatory vetting process.

Murkomen further said the government plans to roll out these reforms across other border counties, ensuring that all citizens—regardless of their geographic location—have equal and timely access to registration services.

The Cabinet Secretary also presided over ID registration during his Jukwaa la Usalama visits to Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir.

As students waved their newly issued ID cards, the mood was celebratory, reflecting a renewed sense of inclusion and hope that the days of bureaucratic barriers and unjustified delays may finally be over.

Other Topics To Read

• Northern Kenya
• National IDs
• ID vetting kenya
• ID registration
• Wajir IDs
• Wajir Secondary School
• ID Vetting ban
• Wajir County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo
• New era in Wajir as students celebrate as ID cards arrive just one week after registration
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