The government has introduced a 24-hour shift to deal with the backlog of processing new national identity cards known as Maisha cards.
Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok explained that technical and legal challenges that had stalled the production of the digital cards have been resolved assuring that staff were working day and night to clear a backlog of 600,000 cards.
At the same time, the PS disclosed that 1.8 million cards had been so far been issued adding that the backlog which had built up was being sorted.
The PS gave the assurance on Tuesday when he appeared before the Members of the National Assembly Committee on Education to respond to concerns about the delayed issuance of the cards to students which had hindered them from accessing loans and scholarships.
“As of now, we have issued 1.8 million Maisha Cards, and over 1 million have been collected. However, 569,000 cards remain uncollected. We have adopted a 24-hour shift and acquired additional machines to speed up the production process,” the PS reassured.
Committee Chair Julius Melly emphasised the urgency of resolving the delays, particularly as universities have begun using alternative methods, such as NEMIS numbers, to allow students to register and start classes.
“As a Committee, we have intervened to ensure that university students can register and access financial support using NEMIS as they wait for IDs but the problem persists. We need a solution,” said Melly.
Luanda MP Dick Maungu also sought details on the measures the Ministry was putting in place to inform ID applicants, ” What channels of communication are available for students and citizens to follow up on delayed issuance of IDs or Maisha Cards?”
PS Bitok added that the vetting process for border counties, which previously caused delays, has been abolished, making the process seamless and paperless.
Concerns were raised by Committee Members about the security of the data embedded in the Maisha Cards.
Rebecca Tonkei questioned how safe the information was, to which PS Bitok assured, “The data is safe. Kenyans should not be worried about the safety of their personal information.”
The PS was also taken to task over the uptake of the school rollout program, emphasizing the importance of ensuring all children receive their IDs before leaving secondary school.
“Tell us about this school registration rollout programme. How many schools have you done?”
The PS responded by saying that the Ministry is prioritizing school registration to ensure that students obtain their IDs before they leave secondary school, allowing for a smoother transition to university.
New applicants
The Committee also questioned why the Huduma Number project, meant to streamline national identification, had stalled.
Bitok explained that the project had failed due to a lack of proper anchoring within a government department but noted that the equipment from the project was now being used to support the issuance of Maisha Cards.
Members of the Education Committee also learnt that new applicants for the Maisha Cards are required to pay Kshs 300, while replacements cost Kshs 1,000.
In conclusion, the House Committee urged the Ministry to expedite the issuance of Maisha Cards, stressing that any further delays could severely impact their access to higher education funding.
Source: Parliament
