Kenyan Government to Issue New Digital Identity Cards From 2019

Kenyans will from next year be issued with digital identity cards with special features and personal details. The new generation identity cards will help ease cross-border movement by Kenyans within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) trading bloc, according to the government.

Director of Immigration Services Major-General (rtd) Gordon Kihalang’wa said the procurement process for the document had started.

“The digitalised document will be scanned at the border to facilitate easier movement of people within the IGAD region,” said Mr Kihalang’wa, who spoke during an IGAD consultative meeting in Naivasha.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Among the special features the ID will have are health insurance, social security, taxation and driving licence details.

Uganda and Rwanda are already said to be in the process of rolling out the digital ID cards.

It also emerged that the proposed draft Migration Policy Framework will provide comprehensive policy guidelines in Kenya’s effort to promote migration within the region.

Interior Ministry Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick ole Ntutu urged the participants to review and also improve the draft protocol.

He expressed satisfaction with negotiations on the draft protocol since its inception and emphasised the need to put in place mechanisms for better migration management.

“With the increasing movement of migrants, which is likely to persist in the foreseeable future, the management of migration has become one of the critical challenges for IGAD member states,” he said.

He reminded the participants that border security remained key, with the main objective being to ensure safety of citizens and national assets.