NAIVASHA, Kenya – The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services has introduced three new guidelines to streamline the vetting process for applicants seeking national identification cards.
The move comes in response to growing controversy over the government’s recent abolition of the vetting process for individuals in border regions, a system that had been in place for decades and was widely criticized for discriminating against Kenyan citizens from Northern Kenya and other border counties.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the new guidelines aim to make the process more transparent while maintaining national security.
Under the new system, officials will use the family tree method to trace an applicant’s lineage and confirm their citizenship.
Additionally, local administrators such as chiefs and assistant chiefs will be equipped with electronic biometric devices to verify applicants’ identities more efficiently.
The third measure will involve conducting registrations in schools, where teachers will help identify genuine applicants.
“These guidelines mark the end of over 60 years of discrimination against Kenyans from border regions,” Murkomen said. “However, this does not mean non-Kenyans will be able to access our documents. Our security remains intact, and officials on the ground understand that.”
Murkomen also highlighted that the Maisha Number project—a unique personal identification system linked to a person from birth—will eventually eliminate the need for manual vetting.
“With Maisha Number, we can access an applicant’s complete bio-data, including family information, reducing the need for these manual checks,” he added.
Murkomen made these remarks at the conclusion of a two-day retreat in Naivasha, where senior officials from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration assessed their midterm performance and discussed ways to improve service delivery.
Among the ministry’s key achievements, Murkomen noted that over 20,000 government services have been digitized under the E-Citizen platform, significantly boosting efficiency and revenue collection.
He also cited progress in fast-tracking the issuance of identification and travel documents, as well as certificates of good conduct.
The retreat was attended by top government officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo, Principal Secretary for Interior Raymond Omollo, Immigration PS Julius Bitok, Correctional Services PS Dr. Salome Beacco, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, and Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Mohamed Amin.
