President Uhuru dismisses those linking Huduma Namba to satanic beliefs

 Interior and Coordination PS Karanja Kibicho, Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia and Woman Rep Faith Gitau during the launch of NIIMS Pilot registration in Nyandarua County. [John Githinji/Standard]

A day after the High court allowed the government to proceed with the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) dubbed Huduma Namba President Uhuru Kenyatta has today dismissed some religious leaders for linking the biometric registration exercise to satanic beliefs.

Speaking in Masii, Machakos County, where he officially launched the registration, a piqued President Uhuru could not understand how some people were linking  Huduma Namba to Satan.

“Tusikubali kupoteshwa na wachache mimi nilishangaa  juzi; hasa nikiwa mkristo na nawaheshimu...nilisikia makasisi wengine wakisema hii ni namba ya mashetani... jameni shetani na kujitambulisha inaingiana wapi? (let us not accept to be misled... I was shocked recently to hear some religious leaders linking Huduma Namba to Satan...surely how is Satan connected to identification) Please let us no use the privileged position we have been given and the respect we have been given to dispel lies”, said president Kenyatta.

President Uhuru lauded the biometric registration saying it was key in weeding out more than 2,648 ghost workers in the police service.

The Huduma Namba was also rolled out in many other regions with NASA leader, Raila Odinga leading the exercise in Likoni, Mombasa.

Looking like a planned attack on those opposing the exercise, Raila Odinga also condemned those who had opposed the exercise saying it was time to embrace digital migration in order to improve service delivery.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and Nubian Rights Forum had moved to court seeking orders to block it on the grounds that invaded privacy.

The court, however, allowed the exercise to continue giving strict orders to guide the operation. Among the orders given by the court included; one should not be forced to give personal information and that the state should not share the information with any organization whatsoever. The state was also prohibited from including DNA in the biometric registration.

These were some of the prayers by the rights groups.