Western Kenya governors have called for an extension of President William Ruto’s recent ban on additional identity card vetting requirements in border counties. The request follows President Ruto’s decision to discontinue extra vetting processes that had previously been required for National Identity Card registration in Kenya’s border regions, marking a significant shift in the country’s evolving digital identity landscape.
The policy change comes amid Kenya’s broader digital transformation efforts, including the recent launch of the Maisha Namba digital ID system, which aims to modernize and streamline the country’s identity infrastructure. The new system represents a significant upgrade from previous identification methods and has already achieved notable success in clearing identity document backlogs.
The governors’ appeal seeks to expand these streamlined registration procedures to other border counties, supporting broader efforts to ensure equitable access to national identification documents across all regions of Kenya. The initiative complements the country’s partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to advance its digital identity initiatives.
“Extra requirement for vetting and ethnic profiling to which persons living within border counties are subjected during the registration and issuance of National Identity documents shall be and is hereby discontinued,” President Ruto announced through an official communique.
The policy shift represents a significant change in Kenya’s identification procedures, eliminating additional administrative requirements that had been specifically imposed on residents of border areas. “We will open the passport office because it amounts to discrimination. There must be equal access for all citizens to government services, and we want to ensure we walk this journey together,” said President Ruto, explaining the rationale behind the decision.
The development follows Kenya’s recent commitment of significant funding to digital ID and related projects, demonstrating the government’s dedication to modernizing its identity infrastructure. The administration has indicated that registration guidelines and processes will undergo regular review to maintain fairness and transparency in the system. The western Kenya governors’ request for expansion of these measures highlights ongoing regional concerns about uniform access to national identity documents across Kenya’s border regions.
Sources: Nation, Standard Media
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