More than 600,000 people who previously struggled to obtain national identity cards have been registered since the government scrapped additional vetting requirements in border counties, the National Registration Bureau (NRB) has said.
NRB Secretary Gilbert Kitiyo said the change had enabled registration officials to reach communities that had for years encountered difficulties in getting identification documents under the previous system.
“There are some legal things which made it impossible for some people to get identification in some parts of the country,” Kitiyo said, pointing to communities that had been disadvantaged by the earlier registration process.
According to Kitiyo, the government has now reached more than 600,000 people who did not previously have identity cards, with the registration exercise continuing in the affected areas.
“I’m happy to report that with that effort we have reached over 600,000 persons who did not previously have their IDs,” Kitiyo said, adding that the registration programme is still ongoing.
The removal of the additional requirements followed a proclamation by President William Ruto in Wajir on February 5, 2025.
Ruto announced an end to extra vetting for residents of border counties seeking registration and issuance of national identification documents.
The President said the previous system had treated some Kenyans differently based on where they lived and called for equal treatment in the process of issuing identification documents.
“If it’s about vetting, let all children of Kenya be vetted equally without any discrimination,” Ruto said while signing the proclamation at Orahey Grounds in Wajir Town.
Ruto later took the same message to Mandera, where he encouraged residents who had not acquired identity cards to make use of the revised requirements and register.
Kitiyo said the policy shift had given the NRB an opportunity to reach people who had previously been unable to secure IDs because of the additional conditions.
The bureau has continued with the registration programme as it seeks to ensure that eligible Kenyans in areas previously affected by the vetting requirements can obtain identification documents.
Kitiyo further said Kenyans can access several ID-related services without paying a fee.
First-time applications are free, while changes to personal details and replacement of lost identity cards also do not attract charges, he said.
The government says national identification is important because it enables Kenyans to access a range of public and private services.
These include health insurance, mobile phone SIM cards, higher education loans and affordable housing programmes.
The ongoing registration drive is also intended to improve access to identification documents among people from historically marginalised communities and ensure eligible Kenyans are not subjected to discrimination or unnecessary delays when seeking IDs.