Kisumu residents seek extension as mobile ID turnout spikes

Residents in Kisumu Central Sub-County are calling on the government to extend the ongoing mobile identity card registration exercise, saying the three-day window is too short to serve the overwhelming number of applicants turning up at various centres.

The drive, coordinated by the office of Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, is being conducted across the sub county.

Large queues have been witnessed at Kondele and neighbouring areas as hundreds of youths who have just turned 18 and adults seeking to replace lost IDs rushed to secure the crucial document. 

Many fear they may miss out if the exercise ends before they are attended to.

“We need more days. The turnout is too big, and many people will go home without being served,” Kennedy Onyango, a resident of Kondele said. 

He thanked the government for bringing services closer to the community but urged the Interior Ministry to extend the drive to ensure that no one is locked out.

Onyango also appealed to hesitant youth including those with past run-ins with the law to come forward without fear, assuring them that their fingerprints would not be used against them.

“This is simply about getting your ID,” he said.

His plea was echoed by Mourine Nyambwa, who urged officials to deploy more staff and streamline the process.

“The exercise should flow freely without hiccups,” she said, pointing out that many applicants lack supporting documents such as birth certificates, parents’ IDs, or baptism cards.

“Some of these documents were lost in fires or during relocation, and the process should be made more seamless.”

Local administrators have acknowledged the pressure, noting that while mobilization was well done, the turnout far exceeded expectations. 

“Many applicants include first-time ID seekers who recently turned 18 and adults replacing lost cards”, Kondele location chief Maurice Ajwang said.

President William Ruto recently announced that replacing national IDs will now be free of charge, a move that has encouraged even more residents to turn up.

 Administrators have reiterated that no government officer should ask for payment, warning that anyone caught demanding money will face consequences.

The mobile registration drive, coordinated by the office of Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, is being conducted across Kisumu Central sub-county. 

While praised for easing access, residents insist that extending the duration is the only way to clear the backlog.

Many youth said they hope to obtain their IDs in time to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election, where they plan to participate for the first time.