Immigration and Citizen Services PS Julius Bitok has announced that the government plans to roll out Maisha Namba's pilot phase.
Speaking at a public engagement forum with religious leaders, Bitok explained that the phase will help the government assess the country’s preparedness for the adoption of digital ID.
“We intend to have the piloting act as a guide on what we need to do right," the PS told the attendees.
"We want to make sure that this time, we get it right in view of the frustrations that have plagued previous attempts to introduce a digital ID.”
The PS, however, failed to reveal specific dates when the pilot phase is expected to kick off.
"We have done a data protection impact assessment which was not done in previous projects. We have submitted a data protection impact assessment report to the Data Commissioner to ensure the process follows the law," he added.
Bitok further noted that so far, the Ministry of Interior has conducted 698 forums involving civil society, the private sector, media, development partners, and National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) among others.
A press release from the Ministry indicated that religious leaders who attended the forum supported the project but urged the government to address relevant concerns including the security of personal data related to registration.
“As a country, we have to align with global trends and address concerns related to the security of registration documents. But equally important is the assurance that personal data is secure and that it will not fall into the wrong hands," stated Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) Chairman Phillip Kitoto.
“The government is doing the right thing and we will fully support it. But we want an assurance that we will not be undertaking a similar exercise whenever a new administration comes into place," supported Pastor Samuel Makori of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
On September 29, the Ministry of Interior announced that the rollout of the card, which was scheduled for October 2, had been suspended indefinitely.
The PS, at the time, noted that the postponement was due to unavoidable circumstances.
The launch, by President William Ruto, was to take place at Nakuru Athletic Club.
