The Ministry of Interior and National Administration has revealed a bold plan to trace individuals who have yet to collect their National Identity Cards.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The plan was announced by the Interior Principal Secretary, Raymond Omollo, on July 29 during an engagement with Mombasa Governor Abdulswahmad Nassir after expressing that his county bears the problem of uncollected government documents, especially IDs.

"National Identity Cards and the release of processed IDs were among the key issues discussed by Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo when he was hosted by the Mombasa County Governor," PS Omollo stated.

Adding, "The Ministry, in partnership with the county administration, is tracing residents whose National Identity Cards have been processed but remain uncollected."

📌 What You Need to Know

For this to happen, the government will be forced to go beyond and flex its tech muscles by combining automated digital notifications, centralised population databases, and grassroots administrative networks to ensure documents reach their rightful owners.

This means that the government will be forced to use automated systems to text or email citizens the moment a document, such as an ID or passport, is printed and ready for pickup, and for Kenya, centralised platforms like eCitizen could prove vital.

This can be done by linking application histories to individual accounts so that citizens can track their status online.

Additionally, the government can consider using the Integrated Population Registration Systems (IPRS), the country’s central database, to cross-reference uncollected document stock against active taxpayer, voter, and welfare databases.

This verification process confirms current residency, helping authorities determine the most effective channels for reaching individuals who remain unreachable through digital means.

In extreme cases where digital services fall short, the state can also mobilise local authorities' chiefs, assistant chiefs, village elders, and mobile outreach units to physically trace and notify residents within their jurisdictions.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke