The Members of Parliament are pushing a new legislative proposal that could see secondary school students begin the process of acquiring national identity cards before turning 18, in a move aimed at streamlining access to essential services and reducing bureaucratic delays.
The proposed reforms, spearheaded by lawmakers including Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, seek to amend existing registration laws to allow students approaching adulthood to have their biometric data captured while still in school.
Under the plan, students who are already 18 or those just months away from reaching the legal age,would be registered early, with ID cards issued immediately upon attaining adulthood.
Currently, many young Kenyans face delays in obtaining national IDs after leaving school, often affecting their ability to access higher education funding, employment opportunities, and government services.
Policymakers argue that integrating registration into the school system would eliminate these hurdles and ensure a smoother transition into adulthood.
The proposal builds on ongoing government efforts to decentralise ID registration, including mobile registration drives conducted in secondary schools across the country.
These initiatives have already shown potential in increasing uptake, particularly among students who would otherwise struggle to access registration centres.
The lawmakers further note that early registration could significantly boost voter enrollment, as possession of a national ID is a prerequisite for voter registration.
The previous legislative efforts have also explored linking ID issuance with automatic voter registration to enhance youth participation in elections.
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If passed, the bill would require closer collaboration between schools, the National Registration Bureau and government agencies, with principals expected to play a key role in verifying student identities.
Supporters of the proposal say the reforms could modernise Kenya’s registration system, reduce costs, and ensure that no eligible citizen is locked out of opportunities due to a lack of identification.
By Kithinji Njeru
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