Kenya Receives Multi-Million Shillings Digital Registration Equipment

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30- Kenya’s quest for a digitized identity system has been boosted by a donation of equipment worth Sh50.8 million from Japan through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The equipment which includes computers and servers and other ICT material will be used in supporting a digitized and secure Identity Management System by the Department of Civil Registration Services.

Interior PS Karanja Kibicho said the equipment will be distributed to deserving registries across the country to drive digital registration of births and other records that will guide future national government planning.

“We are grateful to UNDP and the government of Japan for the kind donation. The equipment will go to deserving field registries across the country so that we can push registration of births from 82.9 percent to the 100 percent global target,” he said during the handover.

Kibicho further said the government is also working towards improving registration of deaths from the current 62 percent to 85 percent.

The donors were updated on Kenya’s progress in digitizing vital statistics and integration of data that lays the ground for the operationalization of the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) and the subsequent rollout of Huduma Namba.

“We have discussed the importance of data integration and the circumstances surrounding the project. We hope to proceed to Phase II of mass registration once we get over the current hurdles in the form of court cases so that we can register the 12 million Kenyans who were not captured during the first phase,” the PS said.

The UNDP’s Resident Representative, Walid Badawi, said Kenya is among the countries selected by the United Nations to pilot the One Legal Identity Agenda which targets the eradication of global statelessness.

The project is anchored on Sustainable Development Goal Target 16.9 seeking to provide legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030 to ensure inclusive development.

“Such equipment will go a long way to achieving the global averages. We applaud the tremendous success Kenya has demonstrated on the continent and the world, but it will only work if the government continues taking the lead,” Badawi said.

The UN has also committed to support statistical capacity-building in developing countries to improve policy planning and development forecasting.

The event was also attended by Civil Registration Services Secretary Janet Mucheru, UNICEF Deputy Representative, Jean Lokenga, Africa Centre for Statistics (UNECA) representative Oliver Chinganya and Dr. Azza Badr (Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, Geneva).