Govt Postpones Launch Of Ksh1B Maisha Namba Digital ID

The official launch was to take place at the Nakuru Athletic Club and presided over by President William Ruto.

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Sep 29, 2023 - 17:08
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Govt Postpones Launch Of Ksh1B Maisha Namba Digital ID
A person holding the new Huduma Namba Card unveiled on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. /TWITTER.MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

The government has postponed the official launch of the Maisha Namba and Digital Identity card which was to take place on Monday, October 2.

State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Bitok in a statement on Friday, September 29 revealed that the postponement was due to unavoidable circumstances.

The official launch was to take place at the Nakuru Athletic Club and presided over by President William Ruto.

Immigration Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Bitok speaking during a media breakfast meeting on the proposed Maisha Namba and Digital/Electronic ID on September 28, 2023. /JULIUS BITOK

Bitok however did not immediately reveal the new launch date for the highly-anticipated Digital Identification Card (Digital ID) project estimated to cost Kenyan taxpayers Ksh1 billion.

"We wish to inform the public and all the stakeholders that, due to unavoidable circumstances, the official launch of the Maisha Namba and the digital ID ecosystem that was to be presided over by His Excellency, President William Ruto, CGH, on October 2, 2023, at the Athletics Club, Nakuru County has been postponed.

"A new date for the launch will be communicated in due course. Any inconvenience caused by the postponement is highly regretted," stated Bitok in part.

The PS added that public participation and stakeholders’ engagement forums on Maisha Namba and the new digital IDs will continue taking place across the country.

On Monday, August 14, the government named the Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) Maisha Namba during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Kenyan government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Maisha Namba is the official name given to the proposed UPI which will be a key part of the new digital identity proposed by the government.

During the rollout, all Kenyans will be assigned a Maisha Namba which will be a unique personal identifier. The new system will thus see all Kenyans assigned Unique Personal Identification (UPI) numbers at birth.

The UPI will be uploaded in the eCitizen portal and will give all newborns a unique number to be used in schools and colleges as well as be used by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) as a means of identifying all Kenyans.

The government has also embarked on upgrading the current automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) into an automated biometric identification system, set to bolster security measures and make it increasingly difficult for individuals to engage in identity-related crimes.

In addition to reinforcing security features, the upgraded IDs will offer a range of new capabilities, including online authentication using shortcodes.

This innovation will enable individuals to authenticate their identification cards conveniently and securely through online platforms, enhancing accessibility and minimizing the need for physical verification.

The project was however met with stiff opposition from various factions ranging from a coalition of civil society and community-based organizations working at the national and grassroots levels to outspoken lawyer Miguna Miguna himself.

Among five issues he had identified, Miguna argued that developed countries such as Canada and the United States of America (USA) have not introduced compulsory digital identification systems as most of their citizens are opposed to its use.

Lawyer Miguna greets President William Ruto at Kisumu State Lodge on January 14, 2023. /DENNIS ITUMBI

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