Kenyan government seeks to differentiate new national digital ID from Huduma Namba

Digital identity will be provided to all Kenyans by February, 2024 so they can more easily access government services, the country’s Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo said during a recent Digital Summit in Mombasa carried by NTV Kenya.

The project differs from Huduma Namba in that there is no ID card associated with it.

“We are not carrying forward the baggage of Huduma Namba,” said Owalo. “But we are embarking on an ambitious program” for online identification of Kenyans.

He referred to the successes of digital identity programs in Estonia, Belgium, Pakistan and India, and suggested they are repeatable in Kenya.

Owalo emphasized that the digital identity would interact with the National Information Management System, and facilitate a central population database. All government-held data about Kenyans will be linked to the digital identity, and all public services will be available through digital channels.

The digital ID will be linked to the birth-to-death UPI, and NTV reports that the UPI will be used with the NEMIS school data platform.  The same ID will also be used for the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital ID cards  |  Huduma Namba  |  Kenya  |  national ID