- New ID guidelines introduced to simplify and enhance the registration process.
- Family Tree Verification, Biometric Registration, and School-Based Identification.
- Maisha Number project aims to reduce manual vetting by ensuring continuous digital records.
- President Ruto’s decree ends discriminatory vetting in border counties.
The Kenyan government has introduced three major reforms to streamline the process of acquiring national identification cards.
This follows President William Ruto’s recent directive to scrap the controversial vetting process in border counties, which had long been criticized as discriminatory.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the new guidelines, aimed at enhancing efficiency, fairness, and security in ID issuance:
- Family Tree Verification – Authorities will use family connections to confirm an applicant’s citizenship.
- Biometric Registration – Chiefs and assistant chiefs will be provided with electronic devices to capture applicants’ biometric data.
- School-Based Identification – Registration will now take place in schools, with teachers assisting in verification.
Murkomen emphasized that these changes would ensure fairness while maintaining strict national security protocols.
“This marks the end of over 60 years of discrimination against Kenyans from Northern Kenya and other border counties. However, we are not opening doors for non-Kenyans to obtain documents. That will not happen.”
He also highlighted the role of the Maisha Number project, which allows authorities to track bio-data from birth, eliminating the need for traditional vetting.
“With Maisha Number, we can access complete bio-data, including details about relatives, making traditional vetting unnecessary,” Murkomen explained.
President Ruto Ends Discriminatory Vetting in Border Counties
The announcement follows a historic decree by President William Ruto in February 2025, officially abolishing the vetting process for ID applicants in border counties.
During a ceremony in Wajir Town, Ruto condemned the long-standing ethnic profiling and additional screening imposed on residents in North Eastern Kenya before obtaining IDs.
“If vetting is necessary, then let it apply equally to all children of Kenya—without discrimination,” Ruto declared.
For decades, citizens in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and other border regions faced delays and extra scrutiny in obtaining birth certificates and IDs. The new measures seek to ensure equal treatment for all Kenyans.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, along with Governors Ahmed Abdullah Mohamed (Wajir), Mohamad Adan Khalif (Mandera), and Nathif Jama Adam (Garissa), attended the proclamation event.
These reforms mark a major milestone in Kenya’s efforts to enhance inclusivity and efficiency in national registration.
