More than 400,000 national identification cards are still lying uncollected in government offices across the country, even as officials express concern over the slow pace of voter registration ahead of the next polls.
Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the government is urging citizens who have applied for their IDs to collect them immediately, warning that failure to do so could hinder their participation in the electoral process.
“We are calling upon all applicants to collect their IDs as soon as possible so they can also register as voters,” said Kipsang during a tree planting event to mark Mazingira Day in Kapseret.
He explained that local administrators, including chiefs and assistant chiefs, will work closely with registration officers to ensure uncollected IDs are delivered to their rightful owners, especially in remote areas where access to government services remains a challenge.
The PS also lamented the declining number of new ID applications, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, despite the government scrapping vetting committees that had previously complicated registration in border areas.
Kipsang noted that elderly citizens are still lagging behind in applying for national IDs and encouraged them to take advantage of the President’s directive, which allows free application and collection.
“We have made it as easy as possible. We urge every eligible citizen to acquire their ID and register as a voter,” he emphasised, reaffirming the government’s commitment to a smooth and accessible voter registration process.
In the meantime, Senator Joe Nyutu has called on the Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations to investigate the frequent delays in ID processing and collection that have caused public frustration.
The Murang’a Senator wants the Committee to establish the reasons for the delays, outline how many IDs remain uncollected, and propose clear measures to fast-track distribution to citizens.
The Committee, chaired by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, has also been directed to examine whether the Interior Ministry plans to roll out alternative methods to ease collection and make IDs more accessible to people across the country.
The Senate further wants to know the extent to which the delays are affecting the ongoing voter registration exercise and whether there is coordination between the Interior Ministry and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to prevent voter exclusion.
Nyutu also asked the ministry to set out clear timelines for addressing all challenges relating to ID issuance and collection, saying Kenyans deserve faster and more reliable access to identification services.
