The Government is targeting around one million youth for ID card registration in a drive intended to take advantage of the removal of Sh300 application fee announced.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen launched the drive in Nakuru on Wednesday and announced that the countrywide exercise that will feature mobile registration will also benefit from the removal of vetting committees for border communities.
He also announced that the waiting time for processing will be cut to not more than 10 days as the government races to clear the backlog of unregistered but eligible applications traditionally disadvantaged by a stringent vetting process.
“From here, we will go to sub-counties and even locations to ensure Kenyans get this service at minimum inconvenience. We will also ensure IDs are issued within 10 days unlike before where applicants were waiting for up to a year.”
He said the government is reviewing restrictive practices that have limited access to identification documents for many years to promote fairness and efficiency in service delivery.
“The government is fully committed to ensuring that every eligible Kenyan can obtain an ID card without unnecessary hurdles. The abolition of vetting, which unfairly subjected some communities to extra scrutiny, is a crucial step in restoring equality in the registration process,” he said.
Last month, President William Ruto issued a proclamation eliminating the vetting process for ID registration, which unfairly impacted border communities and urban areas like Nakuru.
And last week, Ruto ordered the elimination of the Sh300 fee for first-time ID seekers.
In Nakuru, Murkomen further revealed the Sh500 fee charged to verify birth certificates had also been waived.
“The government has abolished the Sh500 fee that was previously charged to verify the validity of identification documents when applying for one’s ID or Passport. This service will now be free of charge,” he said.
He said the onus of authenticating the validity of a document lies with the government and should therefore be a free service “using the presumption of validity of documents principle.”
The CS further announced that the government is adopting a fully digital system for ID registration, with the upcoming nationwide launch of live enrollment kits in every sub-county.
A post-Issuance ID Tracking System that will enable applicants to monitor the status of their ID applications in real time via SMS alerts and online platforms will also be introduced.
“The goal is to eliminate uncertainty and long waiting times, ensuring that Kenyans can conveniently monitor their applications without making unnecessary visits to registration offices.”
Also on the agenda is the National Digital Identity Management System, which will introduce virtual IDs and digital wallets. These innovations will allow secure storage and access of identification documents on smartphones, making it easier to interact with government services and conduct business.
Murkomen said plans are underway to expand ID enrolment services abroad through partnerships with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
“The government is committed to ensuring that distance is no longer a barrier to
obtaining identification documents,” he said.
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