Any Kenyan youth will confess that their worst fear is being confronted by a police officer, usually after dark, with those dreaded words: Kijana, kuja hapa! Wapi kitambulisho? (Come here! Where is your ID card?).
For too long, the ID has been turned into a tool of extortion by unscrupulous officials. Part of this experience is linked to the colonial legacy of its precursors, the Kipande and later the Pass Book, which were used to restrict the movement of Africans.
Every election cycle, the national debate focuses on access to IDs for Kenyan voters. Earlier this month, the IEBC projected that it would register 5.7 million new voters, the majority of them Gen-Zs who have attained the age of majority.
As the process of selecting new commissioners for the electoral body gains momentum, the registration of new voters will be keenly scrutinised. The Department of Immigration and Citizen Services must improve its efficiency, especially after the Auditor-General, in her latest report, flagged the department as one of those gobbling up billions of shillings in public funds with little to show in terms of service delivery.
Recently, President Ruto, cheered on by a crowd of youth not far from where I was issued my first ID card in Kibera, announced the scrapping of the Sh300 fee for new ID applications and Sh1,000 for replacements. To prove that this was not merely a populist roadside declaration, he must revoke the 2023 gazette notice issued by the man who is now his deputy, Prof Kithure Kindiki , which introduced the charges.
In February, while in Wajir, the Head of State signed the Presidential Proclamation on Registration and Issuance of IDs to border counties, ending the rigorous vetting process for people seeking ID cards. The declaration was welcomed by residents of border regions but raised alarm among other Kenyans worried that it could open the door for non-citizens to acquire ID cards.
There is a trust deficit among the public regarding government actions, particularly when it comes to a process intricately tied to voter registration. Nothing is ever straightforward, which explains why we always end up with contested elections. Every election is marred by claims of fraudulent activity, such as the buying of ID cards to disenfranchise voters.
Electoral shenanigans aside, what is abundantly clear is that the government has a legal duty and responsibility to ensure all eligible Kenyans receive identification documents. The lack of a national ID card locks many young Kenyans out of educational, training, and employment opportunities, as well as basic processes such as registering a new phone line or opening a bank account.
As a country, we must establish a proficient identification system that is free from unnecessary bureaucracy and enables all eligible citizens to acquire the requisite documents to facilitate their participation in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.
