NIIMS roll out countrywide to proceed as scheduled, CS Matiang’i

Interior CS Fred Matiang'i addresses a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday. He has said that the Niims roll out countrywide will proceed as earlier planned. [Photo: David Njaaga/Standard]

The Government will roll out the National Integrated Identity Management Information System (Niims) in all parts of the country as scheduled following the completion of a pilot project in 15 counties.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said from today government officials will scrutinise the results from each of the location where the pilot was done in readiness for the countrywide roll out.

He said the issues raised by a court of law would not mar the exercise as the executive will move to court and explain the relevant issues so that the registration can proceed smoothly.

Speaking when he led a delegation from the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee to inspect ongoing government projects in Embu County yesterday, Matiang’i said they expect the project to continue and get the details of all Kenyans for better service delivery.

He reiterated that it is only through having the Huduma Namba that citizens will be able to access the State services, hence urged all Kenyans to register.

Matiang’i dismissed criticisms against the exercise explaining that the registration was a straight forward issue that every government gets done.

He said that the biometric kitty has been procured and the assistant chiefs and those trained to carry out the exercise in the respective jurisdictions are ready.

“We have completed the pilot phase and we will roll out the project on schedule and as planned,” said Matiang’i.

Although he did not directly talk about the Senate suspension of the project, the CS said there was no turning back in the task.

The Senate temporarily stopped the project after Matiang’i and ICT CS Joe Mucheru failed to appear before the council on Wednesday and instead sent their Cabinet Administrative Secretaries.