Kenyan government kicks off biometric database project

The Kenyan government is set to register citizens in a new biometric database, in an attempt to consolidate records.

According to a report in The Daily Nation, the new database will contain biometrics, land establishments and assets. The aim of the program is to address security issues and to assist in national planning. The Ministries of Information, Communication and Technology and Interior and Coordination of National Government will lead registration activities.

“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,” Deputy President William Ruto is quoted to have said in The Daily Nation report.

As of yet, it is unclear what particular technology or biometric modalities will be used in this project.

Reported previously, following Kenya’s most recent election biometric hardware was heavily criticized for technical problems which led to long delays and in many cases, non-functional verification devices.  There were reports of machines malfunctioning or shutting down completely.

No stranger to biometrics, Diebold and Kenya’s Tracom Services have launched a new line of fingerprint ATMs in Nairobi in an attempt to curb bank fraud in the country.

Article Topics

civil ID  |  database  |  Kenya