The government has announced that it will clear the National Identification card issuance backlog within the next month. Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok attributed previous delays to a breakdown of the printing machine and a court case that had halted the printing process. Both issues have now been resolved.
Currently, the production of Maisha cards is proceeding at a pace of 15,000 cards per day, with over 600,000 cards already produced. Bitok assured Kenyans, “Our systems are up and running, and we can get our IDs without any delays, unlike before when we had a few challenges with machines and the court case.”
To address the backlog, Maisha cards are being printed round the clock. Bitok also highlighted the high demand, noting that at least 8,000 applications are being submitted daily.
The government plans to install a new printing machine next month to further enhance the efficiency of ID card issuance. “We have given ourselves about three years to transition everybody towards the Maisha digital ID fully,” said Bitok.
The government’s commitment to improving the identification process is seen as a critical step towards enhancing citizen services and streamlining national identification systems.
