Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Belio Kipsang said 557,930 identity cards were still lying uncollected across the country, prompting authorities to initiate a countrywide mobilisation exercise to ensure the documents reach their owners.
Kipsang, who appeared before the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Thursday, November 5, said the government had enlisted chiefs and assistant chiefs to help identify and reach applicants who had not collected their IDs.
The local administrators are expected to sensitise residents, trace applicants within their jurisdictions and facilitate the collection of the documents as part of efforts to clear the backlog.
The initiative is aimed at improving access to essential government services by ensuring that all eligible citizens obtain their identification documents.
Government improves identification and registration services
The PS also told the committee that the government had invested in live-capture machines, which have helped reduce the time taken to process and produce national identity cards.
He explained that identity cards have a validity period to allow the government to periodically upgrade their technological and security features in line with emerging developments.
In another development, Kipsang revealed that the State Department was working with the Ministry of Health to link hospital management systems with the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System.
The integration is expected to facilitate electronic birth notifications, making it easier for information from health facilities to reach civil registration authorities and improve the efficiency of birth registration.
The PS also clarified the eligibility requirements for diplomatic passports, saying the categories of people entitled to the documents are outlined under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012.
However, he noted that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration has the discretion to authorise diplomatic passports for individuals outside the prescribed categories where circumstances warrant such consideration.
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