PS Kipsang: government seeks to issue 3 million IDs by end year

National identity cards awaiting collection. [File] 

The government targets to issue three million national identity cards by the end of the year.

This follows reforms that have significantly reduced processing time and eliminated barriers that previously locked out thousands of eligible Kenyans from accessing the crucial document.

Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Belio Kipsang said the ongoing nationwide registration drive has already recorded remarkable progress, with 1.5 million IDs issued within the last five months alone.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Regional Integration, Kipsang said that the State Department had embraced digital technology to speed up registration and issuance of national identity cards and passports.

“We have invested in technology; we moved from a manual system of issuing ID cards to a digital system where we scan all documents in the live capture equipment. This allows us to issue this important document within ten days and a replacement within a day,” said Kipsang.

The PS noted that the government is also targeting students who have attained the age of 18 years to ensure they obtain ID cards early enough to access services and participate in national processes.

The national identity card remains one of the most important documents for Kenyan citizens, serving as proof of citizenship and enabling access to banking services, employment, voter registration, higher education opportunities and government services.

Kipsang attributed the increased number of registrations to the government's decision to streamline the application process and abolish vetting procedures that had delayed issuance in some parts of the country.

“Since we started using the live capture equipment, in five months we have issued 1.5 million ID cards. Last year, 1.9 million ID cards were issued, and we project to issue three million by the end of this year,” he said.

“This is because of the efficiency in stopping the vetting process, which had denied many Kenyans a chance to get ID cards. We have Kenyans in Wajir and Narok counties who are getting ID cards for the first time in their 60s and 80s.” 

The PS observed that the removal of vetting requirements could result in foreigners obtaining Kenyan identification documents. He assured lawmakers that safeguards remain in place.

“The government only issues alien ID cards to non-citizens to allow them to access services such as SIM card and telephone registration. Refugees receive special identification cards and not the standard national identity card,” he explained.

Kipsang further challenged East African countries to embrace modern travel systems, including Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), instead of maintaining restrictive visa requirements.

“Most countries across the world are now using eTA for international travel, and Kenya has fully complied with this. In the last ranking across the world, our passport was ranked 68th globally, 10th in Africa and first in the region,” he said.

“You can travel to 69 countries using a Kenyan passport without requiring a visa.” 

Committee Chairperson Irene Mayaka welcomed the reforms, saying they would help thousands of Kenyans obtain identity cards and passports more efficiently.

The session also focused on the implementation of the East African Community Common Market Protocol, which seeks to enhance free movement of people, labour and services across member states.

Lawmakers urged the government to champion wider use of national identity cards as travel documents within East Africa, noting that Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have already made significant progress in facilitating cross-border movement using national IDs.