Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has unveiled a new initiative aimed at speeding up the registration and issuance of national identity cards.
In a statement on July 17, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced plans to ramp up ID issuance in marginalised regions to bring them on par with the rest of the country.
“Identification documents facilitate access to crucial services and sources of livelihoods, such as employment. That’s why we are ramping up our ID issuance, especially in marginalised regions, to bring them on par with the rest of the country,” read part of the statement.
About Mobile Live Capture Unit
Murkomen announced that the rollout of the Mobile Live Capture Unit, a portable, battery-powered machine designed to fast-track the ID application process.
The machine captures applicants’ biometric data and transmits it electronically for processing.
Once registered, applicants can expect to receive their national ID cards within three days.
The Interior CS noted that the government has also removed the discriminatory extra vetting requirement that previously affected residents of border counties.
He assured the public that strict safeguards have been implemented to ensure that only eligible applicants are registered.
Also Read: Murkomen Designates 13 Areas as Disturbed and Dangerous
Ruto’s Promise to Marginalized Areas
President William Ruto signed a decree ending years of State discrimination in the issuance of vital documents.
For years, residents of Northeastern have endured extra-vetting and ethnic profiling by the State before they acquire birth certificates and national identity cards.
“If it’s about vetting, let all children of Kenya be vetted equally without any discrimination.”
“We want the people of Northern Kenya to feel equal to the rest of the country,” the President said.
The vetting requirement, in place for 60 years, was introduced as an extra security measure after some communities in the region tried to join Somalia during a past conflict.
The process involved committees of registration and security officers who had the power to decide whether someone could get an ID based on the documents they submitted.
Also Read: Govt Refutes Reports of Foreigners Getting Kenyan IDs to Vote in 2027
President Orders Free Issuance of National ID Cards
In March 2025, Ruto directed that Kenyans aged 18 and above be issued National Identification (ID) cards free of charge.
The directive reversed an earlier gazetted fee increase that had raised the cost of obtaining a national ID for first-time applicants from Ksh100 to Ksh300 in 2024.
“I want to announce here in Kibra today that IDs will now be issued free of charge.”
“Every Kenyan should receive an ID without any form of discrimination,” Ruto said.
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