Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has said the government is setting up a project to ensure Kenyans have harmonized identification system. The CS noted that the trend of carrying various identification documents and cards should be done away with. Speaking during the opening of the three-day retreat on security, CS Matiang’i outlined the details of the plan, “Each one of us carries so much identification documents, including driving license, birth certificates, NHIF cards and others. We are beginning a new project called Integrated Personal Identification System,” he said, adding they want to collapse the current identification system and that Kenyans carry only two documents that contain the details of the driving license, national identification cards and other details.
Matiang’i said the country should have a harmonized ID system, “That way we can also manage the public data infrastructure sensibly,” he said. He said in case anyone is arrested with his or her ID card, all the required details should be easily accessible.
Moreover, the Interior CS said the immigration system in the country hasn’t been reviewed for some time, “Our records show that there are 34,000 foreigners working in Kenya,” he noted “We know that ain’t true and that there are probably more than 100,000. Meaning there are people doing jobs that Kenyans can do,” he said.
The Interior CS said going forward electronic work permit cards will be given, within a given window of sixty days. He outlined that two criteria will be used, saying the first group to be dealt with will be foreigners who need automatic entitlement, including missionary doctors, foreign professors and investors, “The other group will be scrutinized more vigorously,” said Matiang’i, saying work permits can’t be issued to foreigners looking to work in some slots that Kenyans can adequately fit in.
