MP questions fate of Huduma Namba data, pushes for single ID system
By Faith Lagat, August 14, 2025The fate of data collected under the Huduma Namba registration has come under renewed scrutiny in Parliament, with Matungulu MP Stephen Mule calling for a streamlined single identification system similar to Rwanda’s.
Speaking during the second reading of the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 37 of 2024) on Thursday, August 14, 2025, Mule pressed the government to explain what became of the personal and biometric data gathered during the 2019 mass registration. He said Kenyans deserved clarity, especially after the courts halted the rollout of Huduma cards over data protection concerns.
“Every Kenyan registered for Huduma Namba. Where did that data go?” Mule asked, referencing the 2021 High Court ruling that faulted the initiative for violating the Data Protection Act by lacking a proper impact assessment.
Rwanda model
Mule urged the government to adopt a more integrated identity management approach, citing Rwanda’s National Identification Agency (NIDA) as a model. The East African neighbour operates a single identification document containing all a citizen’s details and is now transitioning to make it a travel passport as well.
“As we speak, a country like Rwanda has only one identification document that carries all the information of its citizens, and they are transforming that one unique card into their passport,” he said.
He noted that Rwanda’s system even caters for citizens abroad, eliminating the need for multiple documents. In contrast, Kenya’s fragmented system forces citizens to spend time and money acquiring separate documents such as birth certificates, national IDs and passports.
Benefits
Mule argued that integrating all personal details into one secure document would cut costs for Kenyans and improve service delivery.
“It is important that we find the best way to integrate all the information of every citizen into one document, to ensure Kenyans don’t spend more money searching for these documents,” he said.
His remarks also tie in with the government’s ongoing digital identity efforts through the eCitizen platform, which aims to consolidate services under a single biometric identifier. However, concerns remain over how such a system would handle sensitive data securely, especially given past controversies.
Balancing innovation and privacy
The debate came as Gilgil MP Martha Wangari moved the second reading of the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill. While the bill seeks to modernise registration processes, Mule’s intervention highlighted the broader need for a comprehensive digital identity policy that addresses privacy, efficiency and cost.
MPs face the challenge of pushing Kenya towards a modern, efficient identity system while safeguarding citizen data — a balance that could shape the region’s digital future.