The government has addressed reports of foreigners and refugees being issued with Identity (ID) Cards to vote in 2027. In a TV interview on March 27, Dr. Christopher Wanjau, Secretary of the National Registration Bureau, dismissed the claims by a section of politicians.
Wanjau said the foreigners and refugees are registered, and their biometrics are in a government database.
He said the government has been collecting data from refugees since 2017 to ensure that only Kenyan citizens are registered and issued with IDs.
“I am not aware of any forced registration of refugees. What usually happens is that all the refuges in the country are registered but as ‘refugees’, the same case with foreigners,” he said.
Wanjau explained that all ID applications are always run through three databases to ensure foreigners, refugees and ID holders are not registered.
He said the process takes about 24 hours and had helped the Bureau ensure that only genuine Kenyan citizens are registered.
“Before any application for an ID Card is processed at the production centre in Nairobi, we have to subject it to three databases to check whether the applicant has been registered as a refugee, registered as a refugee or whether that person had already applied before for another ID,” he explained.
Cross-Border Registration Claims
Additionally, he dismissed claims that people from the border counties can vote in both Kenya and the neighboring country.
He stated that the verification process is rigorous and starts from the grassroots to ensure that ID applicants are Kenyan citizens.
“It is not possible to have cross-border registration because the identity proving starts at the local level that is the village and sub-location level. The Chief and biological parents to the applicants must identify and introduce them,” he said.
Also Read: Ruto Issues Directive on Free Issuance of IDs
Murkomen Calls for Mass Registration
Besides, Wanjau defended Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s calls for mass registration.
He explained that mass registration is part of the normal process of ensuring that all eligible Kenyans are issued with the legal document.
“Every year we usually have a target of Kenyan we want to register. This financial year we have a target of 2 million Kenyans that we are supposed to register,” he said.
“The drive that was launched was launched by CS Murkomen is part of this effort to ensure that we meet this target.”
Also Read: How Govt Plans to Ensure National Security is Not Compromised After Ruto Order on IDs
National Registration Bureau Target
Wanjau said the target consists of 1 million new applicants and 1 million replacement cards.
He said they have registered 1.5 million Kenyans from July 1, 2024, to the end of February 2025.
This consists of about 830,000 new applicants and 600,000 duplicates.
Wanjau said the Bureau will surpass this target due to the removal of application fees and Murkomen’s registration drive.
“The average waiting time for first time applicants is currently between 10 and 15 days,” he said.
Uncollected IDs
Wanjau said there are around 444,000 uncollected ID Cards across the country.
Out of this, 155,000 are new applicants and around 280,000 are duplicate ID Cards.
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