Kenyans To Wait Longer For ID Cards – Huduma Kenya
Huduma Kenya explained on Wednesday why some Kenyans will have to wait longer for their national ID cards.
In response to Kenyans’ concerns, Huduma Kenya revealed that pending court cases had caused a backlog in the system, delaying the issuance of ID.
The state agency emphasized that the court case that halted the production of maisha cards was to blame for the delays. Maisha cards were intended to replace current IDs.
“Due to the court orders stopping maisha card production, it leads to many IDs not being processed causing a delay in ID production,” Huduma Kenya stated.
Kenyans complained that they were paying Ksh1,000 to renew their IDs but still had to wait longer to receive the important document.
Some of the applicants revealed that they had applied to replace their IDs in January and were still waiting to receive them.
They added that despite making the payment and visiting Huduma centers, no action had been taken.
Huduma Kenya urged all Kenyans in similar situations to send their serial numbers to track their progress. Furthermore, Kenyans were urged to be patient while the backlog was cleared.
“We apologise for the delay. We are experiencing a backlog but it is being handled,” Huduma Kenya responded.
In February, the High Court lifted orders that had previously halted the distribution of Maisha cards.
Following the ruling, Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok announced that the rollout would begin immediately.
“Rest assured, we are fully dedicated to expediting the processing of ID cards and ensuring that all eligible applicants receive their documents without further delay,” he stated.
In June, Immigration PS Julius Bitok stated that the government was in the process of replacing current IDs with the new generation chip-enabled maisha cards.
The new cards will have expiration dates and are only valid for ten years.
This feature has sparked debate among Kenyans, with the government emphasizing that the cards keep up with technology.
Once fully implemented, the cards will be issued to all Kenyans upon registration, often at birth. It will be a lifelong personal identification number.
It will also grant the holder access to government services from various agencies, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Kenyans To Wait Longer For ID Cards – Huduma Kenya
