The government has intensified efforts to trace owners of 557,930 uncollected national identity cards across the country ahead of the January 2027 voter registration exercise, warning that thousands of eligible Kenyans risk being locked out of the electoral process if they fail to obtain the crucial documents.
Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Dr. Belio Kipsang told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Thursday, November 5, that the government was working with chiefs and assistant chiefs to ensure all processed identity cards reach their rightful owners.
The backlog includes nearly 400,000 identity cards that have remained uncollected at registration offices for more than 10 years.
Dr. Kipsang said the government was determined to ensure every eligible Kenyan acquires an identity card before voter registration begins in January 2027.
“We are making sure that before the voter registration exercise in January, every Kenyan who should have an ID has one and is able to participate in next year’s elections,” he said.
Under the new arrangement, National Government Administration Officers, including chiefs and assistant chiefs, will receive details of uncollected identity cards in their respective jurisdictions and help trace the applicants.
The department is also considering allowing parents, guardians and other authorised persons to collect identity cards on behalf of applicants, subject to proper verification.
To further address the challenge, the government is developing an electronic notification system through the e-Citizen platform that will send SMS alerts to applicants once their identity cards are ready for collection.
Dr. Kipsang said the government had also abolished fees previously charged for obtaining and replacing national identity cards to eliminate financial barriers.
“We have removed all payments, including the Sh300 that used to be charged for new IDs and the Sh1,000 for replacements, so that it becomes easy for every Kenyan to acquire these documents,” he said.
The PS, however, acknowledged that dealing with identity cards that have remained uncollected for over a decade presents legal and administrative challenges.
He cited Section 17 of the Registration of Persons Act, which provides for the Cabinet Secretary to invalidate identity cards, but maintained that the government would exercise caution before taking such action.
“An identity card is very personal to an individual, and we have to be very careful about how we dispose of cards that have remained uncollected for a long time,” he said.
During the committee session, Teso South MP Uku Kaunya raised concerns over delays in the delivery of processed identity cards, particularly in Amagoro, where more than 5,000 cards had reportedly taken between two and three months to reach registration stations.
Kaunya questioned the delays despite investments in modern registration technology and urged the department to involve village elders in tracing applicants and distributing the documents.
Saku MP Dido Raso also called for the introduction of an SMS notification system similar to the one used in passport collection, arguing that some applicants fail to collect their identity cards because they are unaware that the documents are ready.
Responding to the concerns, Dr. Kipsang said the department had the capacity to print up to 20,000 identity cards daily and was working towards delivering processed applications within seven to 10 days.
He cited Busia County, where 11,000 identity cards had been processed over the preceding 30 days, and Kericho County, where 17,000 cards were undergoing processing.
“Any ID application that reaches us should be processed and delivered within seven to 10 days. It is a rolling system because as we receive new applications, we continue processing and dispatching those already received,” he said.
However, Kaunya insisted that the situation in Amagoro required urgent intervention, prompting committee chairman and Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo to direct the PS to investigate the reported delays and establish the reasons behind the discrepancies.
On concerns over expiry dates printed on new-generation identity cards, Dr. Kipsang clarified that the dates relate to the validity of the technology and information stored in the identification chip and do not affect an individual’s citizenship.
“When your passport expires, you do not lose your citizenship. It is the same with an identity card. It is about updating the information contained in the chip and not the expiry of your citizenship,” he explained.
The PS further dismissed concerns over shortages of passport printing materials, saying the department had adequate supplies as the government transitions to the third generation of passports.
He also announced plans to harmonise national registration and civil registration services to enable Kenyans to access both services at a single point.
“We are harmonising these offices so that Kenyans can get both civil registration and national registration services at one point,” he said.
The government says the measures are aimed at improving access to identification documents and ensuring eligible citizens are able to participate in the 2027 General Election.
