By providing a secure and efficient means of verifying individuals' identities, digital IDs are essential tools for advancing economic growth, promoting transparency, and safeguarding human rights throughout Africa.

The Kenyan government has kicked off the pilot phase of its digital ID initiative and Maisha Namba program. This was disclosed during a recent digital ID briefing, on November 1, by Professor Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary of Immigration and Citizen Services. The initial phase is focused on young individuals who are applying for their first identification cards as they turn 18 years old.

As part of this initiative, the government plans to transition from the existing second-generation IDs to the new Maisha Card. In that context, the pilot phase aims to identify and address any potential issues to ensure a smooth nationwide rollout.

Julius Bitok noted that "All Kenyans turning 18 years in whichever part of Kenya will be issued with a Maisha Card on a pilot basis. This way, we will establish whether there are any errors or issues before we do the penultimate launch."

The Maisha card is set to replace current national IDs and will encompass various personal identifier data over a transition period of 2 to 3 years. These digital IDs will enable convenient transactions using iris and fingerprints.

President William Ruto previously announced that Kenyans will receive the new digital identification cards starting in December. Also, the official launch of the digital ID platform, initially slated for October 2, was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Over 100,000 booklets containing frequently asked questions about the new identification system have been printed to provide information to Kenyan citizens.

Hikmatu Bilali