Kenya’s digital ID rollout holds trust, transparency lessons: CFI report

The benefits of digital public infrastructure (DPI) can only be realized if the government is committed to a high-quality implementation of the system, and at the same time state power is constrained by a healthy socio-political ecosystem, according to a report on Kenya’s digital ID transition from the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI). Kenya’s experiences with DPI and digital ID are examined in the new report on how countries succeed or fail in improving the lives of their citizens.

The 46-page report on “Citizen Experiences with DPI: Kenya’s Digital ID Transition” notes that even in the presence of these conditions, accountability requires robust transparency.

The report argues that transparency has been inadequate in Kenya’s digital ID initiatives, and that “(t)he terms of donor engagement and vendor contracts are unclear.”

Indeed, the official responsible for Maisha Namba, Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, has been forced to reiterate that registration for the national digital ID is voluntary. He has also explained that the expiry of Maisha Namba does not deprive the bearer of Kenyan citizenship, The Kenya Times reports. The government is also in the midst of a broader public awareness initiative for the digital ID.

The report authors point out the unique context and government style of African nations, as explicated by previous scholars, due to their post-colonial legacies. They review the benefits and risks that can come from digital ID, both primary and downstream.

They interviewed Kenyans, companies and non-government organizations, and heard skepticism about the rollout of Maisha Namba. People lack faith in the government’s sincerity and commitment to effective implementation. Civil society expressed fears about exclusion and inadequate data protection. Businesses say functional digital authentication systems are already in place. They are referring to the IPRS, which the report calls “an early version of a DPI.”

Most Kenyans see acquiring a birth certificate as somewhat difficult, but easier than getting a national ID, according to the research.

“Though called a ‘digital ID,’ the same old difficult, analog processes are being used to register citizens for the new card: paper forms and letters, a passport photo, manual fingerprints,” the report states.

Ultimately, the researchers express worry that Kenya has little to gain but significant risks of harm from establishing a new digital ID system.

The chaotic rollout of Kenya’s national ID has continued since the research was concluded, with an August court order setting aside an injunction that had blocked its issuance for weeks. Bitok is now urging people to collect nearly half a million unclaimed Maisha Namba cards.

Private sector marches on with Idex deal

A new fingerprint biometric ID and payment card is being launched in Kenya for students through a partnership between Nairobi-based Vasmobile Fintelco and Idex Biometrics.

The new African School ID and Smart Payment Card is backed by the M-Pesa payment network, another important piece in Kenya digital infrastructure (though privately owned). It will be offered to schools for management of access to school facilities, payments for books and meals on campus, attendance monitoring and health insurance, according to the announcement.

The multi-year deal and initial production order are worth $1.4 million for Idex, and deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. Vasmobile plans to scale up in Kenya next year, and expand into other African countries in 2026.

“Idex Biometrics has a unique and high performing end-to-end platform for biometric cards, that allows us to add our own applets in a very cost-efficient way,” says Bryan Mwangi, CEO of Vasmobile. “Our strategic and exclusive partnership will transform the access to financial wallets and education while serving as the endorsed national student identity card.”

New Idex CEO Catharina Eklof notes that the deal marks her company’s entrance into the Kenyan market.

The partners also note that with 3 million students in Kenya, and 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25-years-old, they are addressing a huge potential market.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  financial inclusion  |  Idex Biometrics  |  Kenya  |  legal identity  |  Maisha Namba