Iniative to expedite issuance of 56,000 birth certificates

West Pokot county yesterday launched a 30-day rapid results initiative to clear a backlog of birth and death certificates. 

Deputy county commissioner Abdulahi Khalif asked chiefs and assistant chiefs to ensure every attempt is made to clear all outstanding unregistered births in their areas. 

“We have about 56,000 unissued birth certificates in the county and it is the responsibility of each of us to do their part within these 30 days,” Khalif said.

Khalif spoke when he officiated the initiative at Makutano town. Chiefs and their assistants from all the five subcounties attended the event. 

The administrator warned the chiefs and their assistants including village elders against engaging in illegal activities like taking bribes from the locals during the exercise. 

“We have received a lot of complaints of money taken by the chiefs. I don't want the axe to fall on some of us so desist from that behaviour,” he said.

The event that was held at Huduma Centre West Pokot branch brought in stakeholders from the county government and registrar of births and deaths.

Huduma centre officials urged residents to acquire services from the newly constructed facility and also to register for the government's affordable housing initiative where a total of 15,000 residents from each county are targeted.

Residents, however, called on the department of immigration to decentralise registration of birth certificates to subcounty offices in pastoral areas.

“Our children were almost locked out of the registration of national exams because they lacked the vital document. The process should be decentralised,”  Caleb Aziz, a resident, said.

County chief officer for health Peter Adoki who attended the event also launched a sanitation initiative to build toilets in the region.

According to the chief officer, toilet coverage in Pokot North stands at an alarming 1 per cent and 2.5 per cent in Pokot South which he said exposes the residents to health infections like brucellosis, typhoid and amoeba.

(edited by O. Owino)