Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, Belio Kipsang, has announced that the government is planning to establish a disaster recovery site for the eCitizen digital payment platform as it seeks to safeguard public funds.
The PS was speaking during a briefing with the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security.
The Committee held a discussion with the PS on the eCitizen systems, Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), and the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2025 on stateless persons.
eCitizen was at the centre of the discussions following a report by the Auditor-General that flagged accountability and transparency gaps within the platform, pointing to the potential misuse of billions of shillings.
The disaster recovery site is expected to serve as a secure backup for the eCitizen system, ensuring uninterrupted access to critical government services in the event of technical failures, cyberattacks, or other emergencies.
“The briefing covered system performance, challenges, and future plans, including establishing a disaster recovery site and Treasury’s measures to safeguard public funds,” the statement by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services read in part.
The eCitizen platform houses over 5,000 government services and has been under serious scrutiny since the Auditor-General’s revelation involving the alleged misappropriation of funds and system outages.
In 2024, the platform experienced a major disruption that left thousands of Kenyans unable to access essential services such as passport applications, business registrations, and land searches.
The PS has revealed that the new system would shield Kenyans from a recurrence of such service paralysis. Details of the backup system are yet to be made public.
The committee also discussed the eTA rollout, which replaced traditional visa processes for visitors entering Kenya.
According to PS Kipsang, the eTA is being implemented smoothly and is designed to streamline entry procedures, enhance national security, and improve the travel experience for tourists and business travellers alike.
The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2025, which seeks to address the plight of stateless persons in the country, was also discussed. The Bill proposes legal recognition and pathways to citizenship for individuals who have lived in Kenya for decades but lack official nationality due to historical and bureaucratic challenges.
Kericho Governor Erick Mutai Impeached Breaking News
