The National ID card, issued by the Kenyan National Registration Bureau, serves as the primary form of identification for verifying one’s identity within the country. Functional forms of identification, such as driver’s licenses, international passports, alien cards, and refugee IDs, can also be utilized for identity verification purposes.
More details have surfaced bout Kenya’s upcoming digital identification (ID) system, set to be implemented in the near future. The innovative ID system, referred to as the Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI), is scheduled for launch in September 2023.
Back in May 2023, the government of Kenya disclosed its intention to augment the digital ID with advanced security elements, including iris and facial biometrics, alongside the fingerprint identification system already employed in existing identity documents.
Anticipated to open up new avenues for online ID verification, this fresh ID system seek to empower Kenyan citizens with greater authority over the sharing of their personal information.
Kenya had attempted to launch some form of digital IDs in the name of Huduma Namba back in 2018. The exercise, which was carried out in two phases, registered over 38 million Kenyans.
However, Kenyans did not readily embrace the document because it was marred with controversy. For instance, while it was mentioned that it was not mandatory, the state compelling people to register for the document, warning them that they could not access government services without it.
Year later, and with the new government in place, ICT CS Eliud Owalo mentioned that Huduma Namba was poorly implemented and did little to explain its use to Kenyans. He also mentioned that registerations would be discountinued (after costing Kenyans over KES 10 billion), and would be replaced by UPI.
It would be interesting to see how the new system will be implemented.
