Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has vowed to step up the process of registering first-time Identity Card (ID) applicants after witnessing long queues in Saboti constituency.

In a statement on Monday, July 28, 2025, Murkomen noted that the government would deploy the use of portable battery live-capture unit machines to distribute in the larger Trans-Nzoia County to ease the struggles residents were faced with in accessing the crucial document.

“I assessed the civil and mobile ID registrations at the ACC Central Division, Saboti Sub-County grounds this morning. I witnessed long lines of first-time ID card applicants who were eager to register for the vital document,” Murkomen observed.

Portable battery units

“As a border county, Trans-Nzoia was among the counties that were affected by the extra-vetting requirements for obtaining an ID card. After H. E the President, Dr William Ruto abolished both the extra-vetting requirements and the fee charged on first-time ID Card applicants this year, more Wananchi are now turning up to register for ID cards,” he noted.

“To reach more unregistered people, we are soon deploying the portable battery-powered Live Capture Unit machines to the grassroots.”

The decision comes just months after Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya opposed Ruto’s decision to scrap vetting of ID applicants in the North-Eastern regions of Kenya.

Natembeya opposes vetting scrap

Natembeya argued that the move could open the door for Somali citizens to acquire Kenyan IDs, posing a significant security risk.

Speaking on Monday, February 10, 2025, Natembeya defended his earlier criticism of the president’s directive, emphasizing that his stance was motivated by patriotism rather than political affiliation.

“Napenda taifa la Kenya kuliko vile ninavyopenda siasa. Mimi nakaa Kenya hii ata kusafiri kutoka taifa la Kenya mimi sisafiri sana kwa sababu napenda taifa langu sana. Na mi naona maswala ambayo yanakuja kuharibu nchi lazima niseme. Hio ambayo rais alisema siku hio ilikua labda ilisemekana katika political context lakini consequences ziko mbaya. Na mimi nahofia hio tu pekeake,” Natembeya said.

[I love my country more than I love politics. I hardly travel outside Kenya because I am deeply committed to my nation. When I see something that could harm this country, I must speak up. What the president said that day may have been in a political context, but the consequences are severe, and that is my only concern.]