Kenya to replace national IDs with Huduma Namba cards by December next year

The current National Identification Cards (ID) will cease being in operation by December 12, 2021, the government has said.

ICT CS Joe Mucheru said that the IDs will be replaced by Huduma Namba cards.

Speaking in Machakos County on Wednesday during the launch of Huduma Namba cards at the Machakos Golf Club, the CS said that the countrywide issuance of the Huduma Cards will commence on December 1, 2020.

Mucheru has said there will be no use of Identification cards and only Huduma Namba cards will be used to get governments services come Jamhuri Day 2021.

The CS said no one will be able to access government services without the Huduma Card come Jamuhuri Day 2021.

"After Jamhuri Day 2021 only the Huduma card will help you get the services you want from the government and nothing else," he said.

" You have one year to get the Card and within the year the private businesses, the government will be ready to ensure that we receive your Huduma cards and give you the services."

From December 1st 2020 Kenyans will receive text messages from the government directing them where they will collect their Huduma cards within a period of one month.

The CS added that the government will ensure all government institutions and offices will begin using the Huduma Namba services by December 1st.

"Make sure if you receive your SMS you go collect your Huduma Namba from the designated centres and it will take one month for you to do so," said Mucheru.

The first lot of three million Kenyans would have received their cards by the start of January 2021 and another five million by February 2021.

He said the government has ensured that all the data will be protected and Kenyans had nothing to worry about.

He also observed that the card will be beneficial to Kenyans and will be used to eliminate corruption in schools and in government institutions and insecurity among others.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta were handed the first two samples of Huduma Cards on October 20, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County.

Attorney General Paul Kihara handed over the cards to the two.

While announcing the handover, Interior CS Fred Matiangi said the process of developing the cards was complete and the cards ready for issuance. 

Matiangi said two years since the process began has been a tedious journey but at last, the cards had been developed.