It should take about a month for a Kenyan to apply for and get a national identification card according to the service delivery charter by the National Registration Bureau. The reality, however, is different for thousands of Kenyans.
The delays are ordinarily caused by logistical glitches such as breakdown of printing machines, shortage of printing materials and, in cases of border county applicants, the need for thorough background checks of applicants.
The current applications backlog, however, is occasioned by a court order stopping production of third-generation IDs.
In the North Rift, thousands of ID applicants are yet to get the crucial document that facilitates access to government and private sector services. Many say they submitted their applications months ago, but have no idea when they will receive them.
“I have visited the registration office for the past four months but I have been told to keep checking,” said Rose Kemboi who applied at the Uasin Gishu office. The officials admit to the delays, which they attribute to the pending court case.
“The court order suspending issuance of new-generation IDs dealt a major blow to the entire process,” said a senior registration official who requested not to be named for lack of authorisation to speak to the media.
In Trans Nzoia County, there was a notable increase in the applications for IDs in December, overshooting the monthly average of between 2,500 and 3,500. County Registrar of Persons Miriam Cheruwon attributed the upsurge to reports late last year of the proposed increase in fees payable for new IDs and replacement of lost or defaced ones.
Being a border county, Trans Nzoia has a requirement for extra verification through vetting of applicants.
“We do vetting, which sometimes delays the process, but we usually issue ID cards within one month,” said Ms Cheruwon.
Turkana Colleges and University Students Association president Michael Ali said the government should provide an alternative way for needy students to apply for loans, scholarships and bursaries without IDs.
Many needy learners waiting to join university and tertiary colleges cannot yet apply for the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) loans without IDs. Many other students across the country are facing the same problem.
Sam Nguru, a first-year electrical engineering student at Kenya Coast National Polytechnic in Mombasa County, turned 18 in December last year. He said he is becoming impatient for his ID, which he needs to apply for a Helb loan and to register a Sim card for mobile phone communications and M-Pesa.
In Kisumu, Morgan Shangai is planning to join Kips Technical College to study foreign languages. He is yet to get his ID since applying in October last year. After the application, he was informed that he would get a text message notification within a week. His biggest fear now is missing out on his college placement.
Another affected student is Philip Kete, 19, a first-year student at Maasai Mara University. His efforts to secure a Helb loan have been curtailed by the lack of an ID. He applied for one in September last year but he is yet to get it.
At the Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay County, some students have applied for Helb funding without their IDs. University Vice-Chancellor Charles Ocholla said the matter was brought to the attention of the government and the students were allowed to apply for Helb without their IDs.
“Initially, there was a problem when students were applying for Helb without IDs. Their applications were rejected, but the government made adjustments and the applications were successful,” Prof Ocholla said.
There are those who have failed to secure jobs for lack of IDs—Jonathan Omondi in Kisumu is one of them.
On December 6, 2023, he visited the Kisumu Huduma Centre hoping to get a replacement for his lost ID card. He had just secured a job with a bakery in Kisumu and was asked to provide a bank account where his salary would be deposited.
After filling all the ID application documents, the 28-year-old was promised that the card would be ready for collection in three weeks’ time. The three weeks lapsed on December 27, but he is yet to receive the new card, which is the only barrier between him and his new job.
In Marsabit County, some residents say that being in a border county has denied them prompt issuance of IDs. Among the affected are the Sakuye. Community spokesperson Hassan Tepo told the Nation that the residents are frustrated by what they view as discrimination.
“I wonder when the right time will come for the community to be treated like other Kenyans during national IDs issuance,” Mr Tepo said.
He said it took the intervention of Moyale Deputy County Commissioner Stanley Too for one senior community member, Somo Ali, to acquire his ID at the age of 95.
A miner in Chungaunga, Taita-Taveta County, who requested not to be named for fear of victimisation, said it has been 13 years since he turned 18. He has made numerous visits to the registration centre in Wundanyi but due to the nature of his job, his fingerprints cannot be captured.
“I have given up,” he said.
Reporting by Angeline Ochieng, Sammy Lutta, Barnabas Bii, Evans Jaola, George Odiwuor, Wachira Mwangi, Anthony Kitimo and Jacob Walter
