It is critical we get it right on Huduma Namba registration

The publication of the Huduma Namba Bill 2019 and announcement of a two-week window crack for public views deserves our collective and undivided attention. The publication follows the accelerated national drive to have Kenyans register under the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) in April and May. What are the implications of the ongoing legal case, the Data Protection Bills and the privacy of our personal data and access to essential services?

Since this column called for national debate on digitising personal information and the right to privacy on February 23, much has changed. According to the Interior Ministry, no less than 31 million Kenyans registered for Huduma Namba in one of the most coordinated drives in Kenyan history. While unverified by independent sources, it is indisputable that large numbers of the public rushed to meet the first deadline.