Government Rolls Out Mass Printing of Huduma Namba Cards

The government has rolled out mass printing of Huduma Namba cards ahead of distribution to Kenyans.

The Ministry of Interior on Tuesday said those who registered for Huduma Namba will soon start receiving notifications to collect their cards.

“If you registered, you will soon receive an SMS notification prompting you when and where to collect yours,” the ministry said via Twitter.

Last year, the government said the current national identity cards will be phased out by December 2021, and replaced by Huduma Cards.

Huduma Namba, also referred to as the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS), was introduced in 2019 and is described as the single source of personal identification for Kenyans, and persons resident in Kenya.

The first Huduma Namba cards were issued to President Uhuru, First Lady Margret Kenyatta, and 10 other Kenyans during last year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations at Gusii Stadium. 

The Huduma Namba process was delayed by the absence of a Data Commissioner, a position established under the Data Protection Act of 2019.

In November 2020, Immaculate Kassait was sworn-in as Kenya’s first Data Commissioner and will be responsible for the enforcement of the Data Protection Act.

The government said over 37 million Kenyans residing in the country and abroad were listed during the first Huduma Namba mass registration exercise in 2019.

The High Court last year dismissed a case challenging the legality of Huduma Namba, paving the way for its implementation.