The pilot programme for the registration of the National Integrated Identity Management Systems (NIIMS) is set to start in mid February through to March as the government sets its sights on registering all Kenyans and foreigners and having all the details and identities at a click of a button. The NIIMS registration, which is set to cost between Kshs 5 billion to 6 billion, will enable all registered persons to have a Huduma Namba, which will be the personal identification to enable one to acquire government services after giving in the biometric data, apart from setting up one central information and data centre for everyone in the country.
The government will then roll out the mandatory registration of all Kenyans after the culmination of the pilot programme which will be done in 15 Counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Busia, Uasin Gishu among others. The digital registration process has been narrowed down to sub-locations, and different criteria have been used to identify the pilot Counties and the locations, including weather patterns and population statistics, to give the state the true picture of the whole process in varied regions.
Speaking to the press, Interior PS Karanja Kibicho said they’ve done a lot of training and they’ve procured 31,500 biometric kits, with around 50,000 staff to be deployed. He said there will be data capture forms during the registration process which will capture the name, citizenship, parents, education, physical disabilities, employment status, any agricultural activities, ten fingerprints and a photo will also be needed.
One will also be required to have an identification document during registration, this may include a birth certificate, ID card, driving license or the KRA pin. However, he debunked the notion that the state will require DNA samples. He said the process is a one-off capture process, “So we will capture the one-off fingerprints from year six when we go for mass registration then we’ll never want your fingerprints ever again,” he said. He admitted there might be challenges that will be faced during the registration process, including the fact that not everyone has clear fingerprints but the necessary assistance alternatives have been laid out.
