Gov’t Begins Providing Maisha Cards To KCSE Candidates
The government began issuing national ID cards to Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education candidates on Thursday.
Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary of Immigration and Citizen Services, officially began the exercise at Ngomeni Secondary School in Kilifi County, which aims to reach over 900,000 children.
He stated that issuing Maisha cards to candidates taking their final exams will alleviate frustrations associated with admittance to tertiary institutions.
“We have had unfortunate situations where students joining universities and colleges are frustrated by lack of IDs which are a requirement for admissions and other processes,” he said.
“We want to end this by ensuring those who are eligible exit high school with IDs.”
This initiative ensures no eligible student is left unidentified, unlocking access to vital services like HELB loans and passports and other essential government services upon graduation.@ImmigrationDept pic.twitter.com/vky38e8nTL
— Citizen Services KE (@C_ServicesKE) November 14, 2024
Bitok stated that the combined initiative with the Ministry of Education will also use current school data to guarantee that only qualified citizens receive Kenyan IDs.
Applicants will also benefit from a seven-day turnaround time thanks to live biometric capture.
“We’re working closely with school heads, who already have the necessary student data. This allows us to make the live capture process seamless and efficient, ensuring that IDs are issued without delay and with maximum accuracy.”
PS @JuliusKBitok has today launched the National ID Registration drive at Ngomeni Secondary in Kilifi County targeting over 900,000 KCSE candidates nationwide. @Sajili_IDKe @crs_kenya @eCitizenKenya @DRSKenya pic.twitter.com/DyBtxgg7fv
— Citizen Services KE (@C_ServicesKE) November 14, 2024
The introduction comes after students without IDs expressed dissatisfaction with the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
Last month, Members of Parliament summoned the PS through the National Assembly’s Education Committee, urging him to find a long-term solution to the matter.
Meanwhile, Bitok urged Kenyans to collect the over 400,000 IDs currently stored in Huduma Centres and the National Registration Bureau across the country.
The PS also presided over the opening of a birth and death certificates office in Magarini constituency.
The office placed in Kongoni is meant to reduce the load on the Civil Registration Services office in Malindi town and make it easier for citizens to receive the paperwork.
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No more delays. Every form four student will be ID ready. pic.twitter.com/rDODZEgJd9
— Citizen Services KE (@C_ServicesKE) November 14, 2024
Aside from Malindi, the county of over 12,000 square kilometers and over two million population has only two other CRS offices: Kilifi town and Kaloleni.
Senior registration authorities, Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, and other local leaders attended both celebrations.
The MP, who is also the National Assembly’s deputy majority leader, stated that providing kids with IDs will alleviate many of their concerns.
“We are thrilled with this initiative. For the first time, students will graduate with their Maisha ID, giving them the crucial identification documents they need to start their journey into adulthood and access essential services from day one.”
Gov’t Begins Providing Maisha Cards To KCSE Candidates
