ICT CS Eliud Owalo has said every Kenyan will have a digital identification card by March 2024.
Owalo was speaking during the launch of ICT Week at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi on Wednesday.
He said the digital ID will help make access to government services easier for Kenyans as the people will not have to go to government offices to be attended to.
"We're pursuing a digital ID. We're already in a benchmarking exercise in countries like Estonia and Pakistan. By March next year each Kenyan will have a digital ID," the CS said.
The ICT boss dispelled concerns that the new digital ID could be the reinvention of the Huduma Namba.
"Let me clarify that we're not reinventing the Huduma Namba. What we're saying is Kenyans need to have a digital Identity to facilitate optimum consumption of government services, " Owalo said.
Huduma Namba was a government initiative conducted by the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) under the leadership of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
It involved collecting biometric data after which the system generates a unique number (Huduma Namba) which will enable one to access government services.
Uhuru launched the Huduma Namba registration drive in Mwala, Machakos county in 2019.
