The government has unveiled a stringent new strategy to curb fraudulent national identification (ID) applications by foreigners following the revocation of what President William Ruto termed "excessive vetting" procedures.
A national ID is one of the most crucial documents for any Kenyan and is used in registration and verification for voting, accessing financial services, securing employment, and benefiting from government programmes.
The new policy aims to tighten the issuance of IDs, ensuring that only natural-born Kenyans are eligible while safeguarding national security. This comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of IDs by foreign nationals, which has prompted a reevaluation of the registration process.
According to policy documents seen by Kenyans.co.ke, at the heart of the new measures is an identity verification system that leverages well-established birth and school records.
These records, maintained by the government, are now being used to validate the authenticity of ID applicants. Officials have emphasised that this step is critical in weeding out fraudulent applications, particularly from individuals attempting to exploit loopholes in the system.
In addition to identity verification, the government has reintroduced the guarantor system as a key layer of authentication. Under this system, each applicant must be vouched for by a registered Kenyan citizen who can confirm their identity and eligibility.
This measure is designed to add an extra level of scrutiny, ensuring that only legitimate applicants proceed with the registration process.
As part of ID applications, the government will employ biometric technology, which has also been intensified to detect and prevent fraudulent applications. Under the mandate, the government will leverage biometric systems, which include fingerprint and facial recognition, which are now cross-referenced with data collected under the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
Officials believe it will allow them to identify and flag individuals who may have attempted to register using false information or stolen identities.
The government is also relying on the law to curb illegal applications. Providing false information during the ID application process is now a criminal offense, punishable by law. If found guilty, one can be liable to up to three years in prison.
Illegally obtained IDs are subject to immediate revocation, and offenders face prosecution, fines, or even deportation if they are found to be foreign nationals.
To further bolster these efforts, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Immigration have been directed to enhance collaboration and information-sharing. This partnership is expected to streamline the registration process, reduce duplication of efforts, and maintain an accurate and secure national database.
Officials have described this as a critical step in safeguarding Kenya’s national security and ensuring that only eligible individuals are issued identification documents.
Last week, President Ruto ordered the immediate revocation of a Ksh300 fee paid for the application of IDs and the Ksh1,000 for ID replacement. According to Ruto, the effort is aimed at achieving equity and parity among all Kenyans.
