CS Owalo:Kenyans will not be forced to take digital Identity card

By Robert Mutasi

Eliud Owalo, the ICT Cabinet Secretary, has declared a shift in policy, saying the government will no longer mandate Kenyans to obtain the digital identity card, a change from the directives of the previous administration.

The digital identity card, formerly known as the Huduma Number, was intended to supersede the existing identity cards deemed outdated by the government. 

However, in an effort to foster voluntary uptake, the government is now giving citizens the freedom to choose whether they want the new cards.

A portion of the Kenyan populace had voiced concerns about the initiative, suggesting that a new card could simply be issued using existing numbers without a complete system overhaul.

Eliud Owalo, while addressing the leaders and staff of the National Communications Secretariat on July 3, 2023, stated, “We won't obligate any Kenyan to adopt a digital identity. 

The responsibility falls on you to determine if you prefer availing government services through digital identity based on your biodata or if you would rather visit government offices in person."

Owalo emphasized the need for a virtual verification system by the government and left the choice to adopt it to the citizens. 

He reiterated that Kenyans are free to decide if they want to be recognized digitally or continue with the traditional system.

Originally, the government had intended to retire the existing ID cards and introduce a new one that would consolidate all government-issued documents like birth certificates, NHIF numbers, NSSF numbers, etc.

 "The government is contemplating the establishment of a civil registration and vital statistics system that aligns with the demands of the new digital epoch," he stated. 

However, due to several hitches, the initiative was scrapped by former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration, despite the expenditure of billions of taxpayers' money. 

The Kenya Kwanza government revived the plans in early 2023, but clear guidance on the rollout is yet to be provided.

It remains vague whether the data gathered during the mass registration exercise will be utilized to generate the cards.