Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok on Friday allayed fears after clarifying that the expiry of a Maisha Card will not amount to loss of citizenship with the bearers only required to renew the document.
In a statement, the PS defended the revised fees for acquiring the government document, amid concerns from Kenyans who have questioned the need and rationale behind introducing new fees for a critical government service. Most have argued Kenyans should not be subjected to fees for a citizenship right.
While justifying the fees, Bitok argued the cost of producing Maisha Cards is high because of its superior features.
The Principal Secretary also revealed that the government will be launching a public participation initiative to invite the public’s views on the proposed Maisha Card Regulations.
“Regional and country commissioners will coordinate the public and stakeholder participation forums on the draft regulations for the Registration of Persons Amendment Rules 2024 and the Birth and Death Registration Amendment Rules 2024 beginning next week,” the PS announced.
The PS, speaking during a meeting with regional and county commissioners at the Kenya School of Government said the government was aiming to hold extensive consultations and address any issues Kenyans may raise.
Bitok assured Kenyans that their feedback on the draft regulations will be taken seriously as the government hopes to avoid the pitfalls that have dogged previous attempts to introduce new ID cards in the country.
“Public participation is not merely a procedural obligation but a fundamental aspect of our democratic system. It presents a unique opportunity to dispel misconceptions about Maisha Namba and Maisha Card, ensuring that citizens grasp the benefits and scope of these initiatives”, read part of the statement.
Bitok’s update came days after the Immigration Department announced that it was shelving mandatory registration for digital identity cards following public uproar.
The PS disclosed that the registration would be voluntary as the government planned to bank on the new digital features of the IDs to drive uptake.
Bitok further clarified that the second-generation identity cards which are currently used by a majority of Kenyans remained a valid registration document.
On Tuesday, the Immigration Department also revealed it had cleared the previous ID printing backlog before revealing some 470,000 IDs lied uncollected at various centres across the country. The PS impressed upon Kenyans about the need to collect the documents.
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