Deputy President William Ruto has rallied Kenyans to acquire the Huduma Namba as it emerged that only over 100,000 have so far sought biometric registration in Nairobi out of targeted 5.6 million.
The DP said the registration, which opened on April 3, was important for Government planning and national security.
Ruto spoke in Lang’ata yesterday where he led four of his children in acquiring the unique number after registering in the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) — a mass biometric registration system meant to create, manage and store Kenya’s population data.
The DP did not take part in the official launch of the biometric listing on April 3 when President Uhuru Kenyatta, Opposition chiefs Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula oversaw simultaneous launch of the exercise in separate parts of the country.
That day Ruto, who had been scheduled to officially launch the exercise in Kakamega, was held up in a meeting with visiting Cuban Vice President of the Councils of State Ines María Chapman Waugh.
The DP later dismissed speculation that he had snubbed the function, citing his official engagement with the visiting dignitary.
Yesterday, it emerged that 106,000 Nairobi residents have so far registered for Huduma Namba out of the 5.6 million expected to be registered in the next one month.
“It will help you not carry too many Government documents and have to recall many numbers. The identity card, National Health Insurance Fund card, NSSF, driving licence and Kenya Revenue Authority pin will all be consolidated,” said Ruto.
He added: “It (NIIMS) is also important to Government for planning purposes as Government needs accurate data because of planning for issues such as health, electrification, bursaries, education and stipends for the elderly,” he said.
The deputy president explained that the number would weed out criminals and terrorists who access Kenya’s porous borders with fake documents.
“Many criminals, terrorists use fake identity cards. There are those who use Kenyan border points to come in and hurt us. It will be now harder for them,” he said.
“We will have a much more secure country with this Huduma Namba therefore its every citizen’s responsibility to register together with their relatives,” said Ruto.
Nairobi Regional Commissioner Wilson Njega said Lang’ata was lagging behind in the registration in Nairobi with only 3,000 people having turned up in the past five days.
The registration for the Huduma Namba has been fraught with issues with human rights lobbies, led by Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), asking Kenyans not to be registered due to weak data protection laws in the country.
Not compulsory
A High Court order issued recently also said, among other things, that Government services cannot be pegged to acquiring a Huduma Namba and that registering for one should not be made compulsory.
Ruto was accompanied by MPs Nixon Korir (Lang’ata), Charles Njagua (Starehe), Caleb Kositany (Soy), Francis Theuri (Embakasi West) and some Nairobi MCAs.
Ruto promised development to Lang’ata residents, including tarmacking of Lang’ata Road and a solution to water problems.
He said Sh800 million had been set aside to build a pipeline this year from Gigiri, through St Mary’s, Kibera, to Ole Sereni.
