KISUMU, Kenya — More than 110,000 Kenyans in the Nyanza region have been registered for national identity cards in the first quarter of 2026, in a coordinated drive that officials say dismantles longstanding barriers to citizenship documentation and full civic participation.
The exercise, led by Regional Registrar George Opiyo Matewa’s office and implemented through the Kenya Youth Transition Initiative (KYTI), processed 110,175 applications between January and March across Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, and Siaya counties.
County Breakdown
According to KYTI figures, Homa Bay led registrations with 35,463 IDs processed, followed by Kisumu (31,408), Siaya (23,530), and Migori (19,774).
For many recipients, the document represents more than administrative formalisation—it marks formal entry into civic life.
Grassroots Mobilisation
Coordinated through Matewa’s office, KYTI served as the primary mobilisation partner, connecting government registration infrastructure with communities historically underserved by documentation services.
KYTI Chairman Salmon Oyieko said the organisation worked with the local administration to bring the exercise closer to the people.
“Working closely with Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs, National Government Administrative Officers, and grassroots youth leaders, KYTI has been sensitising young people on the importance of obtaining national identification documents as a gateway to full participation in civic, economic, and social life,” Oyieko said.
He identified structural barriers that have long impeded registration in the region: “This drive is particularly significant for the Nyanza region because it addresses longstanding documentation gaps caused by poverty, distance to registration centres, limited awareness, and incomplete parental records.”
Inclusion Focus
The initiative deployed mobile outreach to hard-to-reach areas and prioritised elderly persons and people living with disabilities—groups typically excluded from bureaucratic processes.
Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr. Raymond Omollo framed the exercise as a fundamental rights issue.
“The national ID registration drive in Nyanza is fundamentally about inclusion, dignity, and equal opportunity for every eligible Kenyan,” Omollo said.
“A national ID is not just a document, it is a gateway to education, employment, financial services, social protection programmes, and full participation in our democracy.”
He noted that the government has intensified outreach to remote villages, border communities, and previously underserved populations through National Government Administrative Officers working with community networks.
Electoral Timing
The drive coincides with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s enhanced continuous voter registration exercise, ongoing until April 28, making the documentation push particularly consequential for political participation.
KYTI maintains its target of capturing all eligible undocumented persons, with renewed focus on wards historically recording low registration numbers.
The Regional Registrar’s office is expected to continue leveraging KYTI’s grassroots networks to sustain momentum.
