Kenya gears up to collect and store data on individuals electronically

By WINSLEY MASESE

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Government will collect and store all the data related to the identification of its nationalities, in readiness to the rolling out of the e-payment system.

Information, Communication and Technology Principal Secretary Joseph Tiampati said the exercise would ensure improved security as the country prepares to switch to e-payment in all its operations.

“We will soon embark on an exercise to get all the identification of persons to manage the electronic payment system and the use of cards in a more transparent manner,” he stated.

This, Mr Tiampati noted, is part of the efforts by the Government to implement a national master plan that ensures that data related to its citizens is captured and stored in the electronic system to make it easier handle any fraud or corrupt-related incidences.

“This is a key pillar in the efforts to provide accurate and reliable information as the base towards the migration to a cashless society,” he noted.  The Government, for example, does not accept cash payment for services or goods in an effort to reduce cases of corruption and improve transparency.

Besides, all commercial banks have until the end of this month to switch to the EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV), which are regarded as a more secure means to cut down on banking fraud.

Speaking during a one-day conference on cards and mobile Africa 2014 in Nairobi yesterday, Tiampati noted that the Government has made progress in efforts to ensure that payments within the Government switches to cashless.  The one-day event organised by Xinfotech and sponsored by Trub underscored the need to switch to the EMV as a key platform to ensure security of the e-payment transactions.

GROWTH PROJECTIONS

Co-founder and member of the board of Xinfotech Vadims Teresko observed that payment cards and mobile technology would drive Kenya’s economic growth projections.

“More than a half of the generation in the country and by extension in Africa comprises youth aged below 20 years and this is the mobile generation who will use cashless payment hence the need to improve its reliability and security,” he stated.

Kiambu Woman Representative Margaret Mbugua said collection of revenue in counties through cards would improve.