Kenyans to be given New Identification Cards

Kenyans will be issued with new digital identity cards from next year (2019).

Director of Immigration Services Major-General (rtd) Gordon Kihalang’wa stated that procurement for the new IDs had already started and it will allow for easier cross-border movement.

“The digitalised document will be scanned at the border to facilitate easier movement of people within the IGAD region,” stated Mr Kihalang’wa during an IGAD consultative meeting in Naivasha.

 

The new ID is set to contain details of an individual’s health insurance, social security, taxation and driving license.

Leaders who attended the meeting, however, stated that caution should be exercised at all times to ensure citizens are safe at all times.

“With the increasing movement of migrants, which is likely to persist in the foreseeable future, the management of migration has become one of the critical challenges for IGAD member states,” stated Interior Ministry Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick ole Ntutu.

Kenya seems to be going digital in almost all sectors as in November 2017, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) announced plans to introduce new driving licenses in 2018.

The new licenses will store drivers’ details on a chip and unlike the old ones, they will indicate the driver’s blood group.

According to reports, indicating the blood group on the license is a move aimed at facilitating treatment of accident victims admitted to hospital.

The digital cards will also contain details of the driver’s home county.

[caption caption="Image of the New Driving License"][/caption]

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