Immigration Principal Secretary (PS) Gordon Kihalangwa on Tuesday declared that any Kenyan who will apply for a passport without prior Huduma Namba registration will be treated as a non-Kenyan.
"If you are not in the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) and you are actually applying for a passport, then we'd know very well that you are not a Kenyan, because that will be the single source of truth," the PS asserted during live TV interview.
The PS was speaking during the launch of a monitoring exercise of implementation of the report on examinations into the systems, policies, procedures, and practices at the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services.
Also present at the event was the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO, Twalib Mbarak.
While launching the exercise Mr Mbarak affirmed that he would be relentless in clamping down on corruption loopholes within the ministry.
"Corruption within Immigration processes can expose the country to security threats, human trafficking and infiltration of the job market by undeserving foreigners,” he divulged.
Mr Kihalangwa during his address was emphatical about the need for every Kenyan to register for the Huduma Namba if they wanted to access crucial government services such as a passport.
This is in line with information gathered when a Huduma Namba Registration Assistant (RA) - James Kibui based in Juja, Kiambu county spoke to Kenyans.co.ke.
Mr Kibui affirmed that despite the court ruling, the Huduma Namba aimed at integrating all information pertaining to an individual, thereby making access to all government services almost impractical without it.
"In the next few years, I think it will be quite hard for an individual to access government services without this Huduma Namba, much like the social security number in the US," he stated.
The latest remarks by PS Kihalangwa contravene the recent court ruling restricting the government from making the process mandatory to all citizens or issuing any deadlines.
