Robert Ochoro and Hillary Mageka 

President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta yesterday became the first recipients of the National Integrated Identification Management System (NIIMS) popularly known as Huduma Namba.

The card is expected to collapse all data into one portal, effectively ending the need to carry multiple identification documents to acquire government services.

Speaking during the 11th Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kisii, yesterday, the President said the multi-billion shilling Huduma Namba cards are now ready for rollout. They are expected to ease citizen access to government services.

“As a government, we are ready to give each Kenyan a Huduma Namba to enable them get government services through online,” President Uhuru  told the crowd at Gusii Stadium.

“The long queues we have witnessed as Kenyans line up to seek services in various public institutions will be a thing of the past.

Instead of queuing, you will now be able to continue to do your working as you access your services online,” the President added.

The President made the remarks on the day he asked National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to expedite the vetting and approval of the data commissioner so that Kenyans can get the cards.

Personal data

Last week, the President nominated IEBC director of voter registration and election operations Immaculate Kassait to the position of Data Commissioner.

The position arose with the coming into effect of the Data Protection Act, which aims to regulate the processing of personal data and protect the privacy of individuals.

The Data Protection Act, which gave rise to the position is meant to operationalise Article 31 of the Constitution.

The law states that every citizen has the right to privacy, including the right not to have their home or property searched, their possessions seized, information relating to their family or private affairs unnecessarily possessed or revealed or the privacy of their communications infringed.

During the Mashujaa Day fete, 10 other Kenyans were also given the sample Huduma cards by the Head of State.

While handing over the sample cards, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said NIIMs, under the national security system, is now complete and awaiting rollout after Parliament vets and approves the Data Commissioner.

Matiang’i said NIIMs process will integrate public personal data, so that every Kenyan gets “a single identity, which we call a single source of truth”.