All first time ID applicants will from Wednesday, November 1, be issued with the Maisha Card, otherwise known as digital IDs.
In a statement seen by The Kenya Times, the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services announced the commencement of the pilot phase in the system touted to replace the second generation of IDs.
According to the statement, the government will use the pilot phase to establish whether there are errors or issues calling for mitigation before proceeding to the next phase.
In addition, the government will also target Kenyans seeking replacement of lost or damaged IDS.
On average, the government receives about 10,000 new applications for first-time ID per day across the country and about 5,000 applications for duplicates.
“All Kenyans turning 18 years in whichever part of Kenya will be issued with a Maisha Card on a pilot basis. This way, we will establish whether there are any errors or issues before we do the penultimate launch,” Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary in the Department of Citizen Services announced.
As per the statement, the government is keen to avoid pitfalls similar to those that befell the unsuccessful introduction of Huduma Namba and will, as such use the first phase to remedy any challenges.
Also Read: Govt Postpones Launch of Digital ID, Maisha Namba
Civil Society to support roll out of digital IDs
To further give the process a boost, members of the civil society in Kenya agreed to help the government in undertaking public participation in the process.
Prior to the announcement, PS Bitok and other stakeholders was in a meeting with Civil Society representatives led by Amnesty International (Kenya) Executive Director Irungu Houghton.
According to the statement, the Civil Society pledged to support stakeholder forums on digital ID.
However, Houghton urged the government to ensure security of data gathered from Kenyans and genuine public participation in the process.
Moreover, the Civil Society group called for the inclusion of marginalized communities in the roll out.
Also Read: DIGITAL ID: All You Need to Know About Ruto’s Ksh1 Billion Project
Features of new Digital IDs
The new digital IDs are in line with the government’s resolve to enhance service delivery to the citizens.
In the new system, the government has also adopted measures to minimize risks associated with cases of forgery.
For instance, the new Maisha Card will feature a microprocessor electronic chip with encrypted data as part of the security measures.
In addition, the cards will have the capacity to support a virtual ID to be known as Maisha Digital ID for those with smartphones.
