Why digital identity is imperative for Kenya's digital transformation

ICT CS Eliud Owalo. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Self-identification in Africa has sometimes been oppressive and humiliating. But it has also often fallen short of the intended purposes, making it ineffective. A new digital identity is a must, in the emerging global order. The old way of doing things is dying. Those who do not change with the rest of the world must accept to become irrelevant. National identification belongs here.

The origins of Kenya's personal national identification is traced back to colonial times. An ordinance signed by Sir Henry Conway, the Colonial Governor in 1912-1917 made it mandatory for all adult males aged 16 and above to have official identity documents. Identification was largely for the purpose of controlling the movement of natives. It also facilitated the payment of hut tax and recruitment into colonial labour. They were issued with a registration document that was carried in a metallic container, attached to a chain and worn around the neck at all times. This colonial ID, referred to as kipande, was designed to be a tool of exploitation. Africans hated it. They saw it as a symbol of oppression and imposed servitude.