Govt Announces Replacement of Huduma Namba

Immigration and Citizen Services PS Prof Julius Bitok has shared updates regarding the planned rollout of Maisha Namba.

PS Bitok made the announcement on Monday, August 14, in Nairobi following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Maisha Namba is the official name given to the proposed unique personal identifier (UPI) which will be a key part of the new digital identity proposed by the government.

In the MOU, UNDP will support the development and rollout of digital IDs. The partnership will be anchored on resource mobilization, technical advisory and project monitoring.

“The digital identity system will provide Kenyans with a secure and reliable way to verify their identity for a variety of purposes, including accessing gov’t services, opening bank accounts, and traveling. It will also help to reduce fraud and corruption, and improve efficiency,” PS Bitok said.

The official unveiling of the both Maisha Namba and the digital ID is set for Oct 2, 2023.

In the rollout, all Kenyans will be assigned a Maisha Number which will be a unique personal identifier.

President William Ruto announced plans to introduce digital identification cards with the data of every citizen earlier this year.

The new system will assign Unique Personal Identification (UPI) numbers at birth to all persons born in Kenya.

The UPI will be uploaded in the eCitizen portal and will give all newborns a unique number to be used in schools and colleges.

It will also be used by National Health Insurance Fund, and Kenya Revenue Authority to identify Kenyans.

The government has also embarked on upgrading the current automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) into an automated biometric identification system.

The new biometric features will significantly bolster security measures, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to engage in identity-related crimes.

In addition to reinforcing security features, the upgraded IDs will offer a range of new capabilities, including online authentication using short codes.

This innovation will enable individuals to authenticate their identification cards conveniently and securely through online platforms, enhancing accessibility and minimizing the need for physical verification.