Digitise birth certificate process, says official

A top official wants birth registration and the issuance of national IDs t be digitised.

Eastern regional coordinator of civil registration, Samuel Lukanu, said moving away from the manual process of registration will enhance security in the larger Eastern region

Lukanu said digitisation will enhance security because it will be hard for one to change identity, which is what terrorists and criminals do.

“Digitisation will ensure there is an organised registry that will improve record storage and accessibility and improved security of manual records of births and deaths,” said Lukanu. 

The coordinator noted that through digitised Civil Registration Vital Statistic system, an individual’s information will be captured throughout their life time.

“In the past we have cases of people changing their identities especially those inclined to criminal activities, so as to conceal their real identity, which is a security threat,” he said.

The Eastern coordinator further said digitalisation will eliminate cases of paternity transfers where children change names of their fathers.

Lukanu said this process will be enhanced by enacting Huduma Bill, which is in the process of public participation and will allow issuance of personal identification number at birth.

"The current system of registration contains only two categories, male and female, a change to include neuter as a third category to cater for intersex will require legal process," he said. 

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