Uhuru ignores Ruto allies, rolls out Huduma Namba cards

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday turned a deaf ear on clamour from the allies of his Deputy William Ruto and rolled out the Huduma Namba cards.

Uhuru launched the cards during the 11th Mashujaa Day Celebrations at Gusii stadium in Kisii, ignoring the DP’s men who have alleged a plot to rig the 2022 elections using Huduma Namba.

They claimed the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) better known as Huduma Namba, was being managed by a firm retained through the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to rig out the DP in the upcoming 2022 polls.

The Interior ministry immediately rubbished the allegations, warning Kenyans to be wary of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories propagated about Huduma Namba.

Appearing to be answering the DP lieutenants, Uhuru said that the Huduma Namba is an initiative that will ease the way Kenyans get government services.

“We started the work of ensuring every Kenyan will get their Huduma Namba which will ease the way they get government services,” Uhuru said.

The President, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and ten others received their cards from Attorney General Paul Kihara, with the national rollout set to begin soon after the data commissioner is appointed.

Last week, Uhuru appointed former IEBC director Immaculate Kassait as the country’s data manager and sent the name to Parliament for vetting.

“We are now waiting for you to complete your work so that Kenyans can be happy,” Uhuru told the national assembly speaker Justin Muturi during the celebrations.

He added: “Us, as government, we are ready to start giving Kenyans their Huduma cards so that they can start getting services either on-line in an easy way so that the long queues they have been making in government offices can end.

National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai advised Kenyans contesting Kassait’s suitability for the position to present their memoranda with supporting evidence by Monday next week.

The House's Communication, Information and Innovation committee is scheduled to vet Kassait next week.

The government has also developed, published and sent to parliament NIIMS regulations for approval.

Interior CS Fred Matiang'i, whose Ministry is spearheading the project, said the process of generating Huduma Nambas for the 45 million Kenyans was complete.

“Today, you and the First Lady will be the first recipients of the sample Huduma cards which we hope will be rolled out as soon as the national assembly completes the process of the appointment of the data manger as directed by the High Court,” Matiang'i said.

Recently, Interior PS Karanja Kibicho said the government will roll out another round of Huduma Namba registration in December.

“Everybody will have an opportunity, through mass registration sessions two or walking to the registrar of persons in future, if they miss out because this will be a continuous process,” he said.