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The government will now leverage technology and involve chiefs especially in border and cosmopolitan counties in the registration and issuance of national identity cards.

In the new plan, the chiefs will be required to append their thumbprints in addition to their signature to each approved application that must be presented by a parent or a relative-by-blood of applicants who are mainly youth who attain 18 years and above.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok yesterday warned that chiefs will take personal responsibility for any Kenyan ID card issued to foreigners in their regions after the dissolution of vetting committees from tomorrow.

This follows presidential directive to do away with the current multi-agency vetting teams that have been blamed for frustrations linked to corruption and inordinate delays in issuing ID cards to communities living along national borders.

“We will hold chiefs to a personal account for any Kenyan ID issued to a foreigner because they will have endorsed the application. They will have to take responsibility for their actions,” Bitok said.

This will see the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) play a crucial role in identification of eligible citizens to ensure seamless issuance of identification documents including IDs.

The Interior PS Dr Raymond Omollo yesterday said security agencies including the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will also work hand in hand with all stakeholders, to seamlessly and in a timely fashion, conduct necessary background and cross checks to ensure no ineligible persons access our identification documents.

Security interests

Dr Omollo directed that no Kenyan should be unfairly denied ID and the process should also protect the country’s security interests and integrity of the registration process.

“Proper identification of bonafide citizens for issuance of identification documents is paramount to counter security threats such as terrorism that occur due to illegal registration of immigrants, illegal immigration, and financial fraud,” Omollo noted.

The PSs were speaking at the Kenya School of Government, Kabete, during an induction workshop on ‘Registration Guidelines for Border and Cosmopolitan Counties’ for regional and county commissioners and county National ID registrars

“The policy pushes towards greater accountability and transparency in the issuance of ID cards and ensures Kenyans are issued with identification documents without compromising security of the country,” Dr Omollo said.

According to Bitok and Omollo, the registration of foreign nationals was also crucial for the Government to have a clear picture of who is in the country, and there is need to document and maintain a secure and reliable database of all persons residing within our borders for internal security.

Over the years, the NGAOs, working together with National Registration Officers, have been supporting the identification and registration process for issuance of the ID cards.

“From facilitating the gathering of applicant documents to verifying the citizenship status and actual issuance of ID cards, NGAOs have been leading the charge in the National Identity card registration process,” Omollo added.

He also said the State Department for Internal Security will support implementation of the policy and promote equity and fairness in issuance by eliminating unnecessary bottlenecks.

“The State Departments for Internal Security and Immigration will similarly enhance collaboration on the back end and share actionable intelligence to guard against illegal registrations,” he said.