Information and Communication Technology Principal Secretary Joseph Tiampati says the process will not initially involve issuance of identity cards, but will instead capture details to be used in the actual registration later in the year/FILE
Information and Communication Technology Principal Secretary Joseph Tiampati says the process will not initially involve issuance of identity cards, but will instead capture details to be used in the actual registration later in the year.
“From 12 years and above, the fingerprints are properly formed and therefore you can usually issue an ID to somebody.”
Persons aged below 12 years will only be identified using their birth certificate containing their names and parents names among others.
Tiampati said apart from fingerprints, the government will use eye identification for those with special physical needs. “If you go to tea growing areas, most people there have no clear fingerprints due to picking tea for a long time.”
“There will be a separate data for aliens who are in the country legally. They will have their own register,” Tiampati added.
He was speaking on Tuesday on the sidelines of the ongoing Connected Kenya 2014 conference in Mombasa.
The exercise will cost the government up to Sh8 billion.
“We want to ensure that we first come up with a reliable database and once we have it, the Ministry of Interior will issues IDs and I believe they have an elaborate programme to ensure that IDs are issued afresh to all people,” he stated.
Deputy President William Ruto on Monday announced that the exercise was part of the government’s security measures, in addition to helping in planning purposes. READ Kenyans to register for new digital IDs
The government has already set up teams from various ministries to discuss all logistics involved in the fresh registration before it kicks off.
Under the new initiative, Ruto says, a database with biometric features will be created to synchronise details of each and every Kenyan.
The announcement comes at a time when police have intensified a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the country. So far 82 illegal immigrants have since been deported to Somalia.
“In order to address the prevailing security challenges, we intend to consolidate all current registers of persons into a single national register with accurate and relevant information,” the Deputy President said.
The database will contain biometric details of all persons, land, establishments and assets.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku says registration of persons is an important component in tackling security challenges.
“We must know who is a Kenyan and who is not. We can only do this from a credible digital database,” the Interior CS said.
It is anticipated the registration will take a period of up to six months once the Government has the required infrastructure in place.
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