Govt Reveals How Rivalry Fueled Reports Of Chip Implants On Newborns

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok on Wednesday, November 29 dismissed reports of newborns set to be implanted with electronic chips in the digital ID rollout, attributing this to a rivalry between the government and foreign firms.

Bitok who appeared before the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) at Waumini House in Nairobi, accused the foreign firms of creating misinformation in response to the government denying them business contracts in the digital ID migration.

He downplayed the assertions as smear business rivalry by the international firms who were annoyed with the government's decision to localize the project.

“The propaganda that we are inserting chips into babies was fuelled by them (vendors) as a result of the government’s refusal to take them up on this project,” he stated.

“Some have wanted to take the Maisha Namba from the ground but we declined their proposal on the basis that this is Kenyan ID and process and we already have a foundational ID. Maisha Namba is just an upgrade.”

Bitok defended the move to consider homegrown IT solutions in the digital migration in response to concerns over data protection and integrity which locked foreign firms out of consideration for the project.

He said that although there has been competing pressure from leading global technology firms for partnerships on digital ID, the government prefers to improve on the existing digital foundation using local experts.

According to Bitok, the decision to go local was also borne out of a deliberate policy to promote local enterprises in general and techie firms in particular, a position that has apparently upset global digital technology giants. 

Earlier this month, KCCB which brings together 26 bishops, had raised concerns over the implant claims and other grey areas surrounding the digital ID and urged the government to clarify the matter.

The bishops who spoke in Nakuru also called for more public participation and stakeholders’ involvement in the digital ID rollout. 

“Knowledge is power and there is a need to continuously share information with the public to dispel the misinformation out in the public. It is imperative that continuity and diversity in communicating the right information to the public on the project is employed,” said Bishop Anthony Muheria, the Archbishop of Nyeri.

He appealed for more time and resources for public sensitisation to reach as many people as possible.

To boost public confidence in the safety and security of the digital ID system, Archbishop Muheria suggested that the government should invite a caucus of IT experts drawn from private and public sectors to stress-test the infrastructure.

KCCB chairman Martin Kivuva who is also the Archbishop of Mombasa dioceses urged the government to ensure the process was transparent and to make relevant information easily available.

Responding to the concerns, the PS said over 500 public participation and stakeholder forums have been undertaken so far with several others lined up across the country in the coming days.

The government commenced the much-anticipated rolling out of the Maisha Namba on Wednesday, November 1, with priority given to first-time ID applicants.

Image of a sample Maisha Namba card. /VELLUM KENYA