The National Registration Bureau (NRB) has urged Kenyans who registered for IDs at the Narok Huduma Center and have not yet collected the more than 2,200 processed documents to go and pick them.           

NRB Fingerprints Officer based in Nairobi, Felistas Silantoi, said the vital documents are piling up, despite the continuous voter registration process at the various Independent Boundaries and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices across the country.       

Silantoi indicated that the government was concerned with the rising number of citizens who fail to collect their IDs after issuance.           

The Fingerprints Officer asked all Kenyans across the 47 devolved units, who applied for the IDs to collect and use them to get government services and also register as voters.

She said it now takes no more than 7 days to get a national ID and with technology, the exercise would be further improved. “We are ensuring that even if it’s through manual application, the IDs have to be ready within 7 days,” added Silantoi.           

The NRB official said the IDs were important in helping Kenyans register for SHA, among other government programmes including online services that benefit mostly the youth.

Silantoi said quick services and easy access to national documents will speed up expansion in all sectors of the economy, adding, “When Kenyans easily access crucial documents, they are able to engage in various activities that end up spurring economic growth.”            

She  assured that the government is revamping the national identity card system, introducing faster processing times that allow new applicants to obtain their ID cards in just one day.           

This reform is designed to enhance public service efficiency, minimize bureaucratic delay, and provide citizens with quicker access to essential identification documents.           

The NRB official  said the changes follow heavy investment in modern technology, which has streamlined the application and production process across the country.             

“Our cards are now delivered between three and seven days. The level of technology we have invested in has made the process very fast and efficient,” she stated.

 Silantoi also asserted that the government has scrapped all fees related to ID applications and replacements, following an earlier directive by the President to waive the previous charges of Sh300 for new applications and Sh1,000 for replacements.           

She  clarified that foreigners residing in Kenya, including refugees and asylum seekers are issued alien cards through a separate legal process, which does not grant them voting rights.

“For foreigners, there is a clear process they must follow. Refugees are issued with alien cards, not national IDs, and without a Kenyan ID, one cannot vote,” Silantoi explained.

by Emily Kadzo