The government has announced plans to roll out a mass mobile National Identity (ID) registration exercise in 11 days, targeting over one million Kenyans. The drive will mainly focus on Northern, Eastern, and some parts of the Coast regions, where many citizens have been left out of registration for years.
Speaking after a working tour of the National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices at the NSSF Building in Nairobi, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen reaffirmed the Kenya Kwanza administration’s commitment to ensuring all citizens have access to identification services.
The CS revealed that more than 400,000 National Identification Cards currently lie uncollected, with duplicate requests accounting for about 270,000. He noted that recent policy interventions have significantly improved access, especially in marginalized areas.
“We are working very hard to ensure Kenyans who are not registered, and those doing replacements, are served in record time. Starting next week, we will roll out the mobile registration program in pastoralist areas,” Murkomen stated.
Among the key reforms highlighted include President William Ruto’s directive to remove unnecessary vetting for residents in border counties, free issuance of IDs for Not Previously Registered Persons (NPR), and scrapping of verification fees for birth certificates.
Murkomen assured the public that security checks have been enhanced to prevent fraud. “No one can get an ID unprocedurally, whether by trying to change age details or through refugee registration loopholes,” he added.
Thanks to modernized systems, Kenyans can now obtain IDs within minutes, with delivery to registration centers taking between three to seven days. The use of live capture machines has further boosted efficiency, enabling the government to reach remote communities.
The CS emphasized that having a valid ID is crucial for accessing essential services such as Social Health Insurance (SHA), social protection for the elderly, mobile money transactions, job applications abroad, and voting rights.
This nationwide campaign follows Murkomen’s pledge during grassroots engagements under the Jukwaa la Usalama forums to expedite citizen service delivery.
