In recent years, the use of Unique Personal Identifiers, or UPI, has become increasingly widespread in Kenya.
This strategy was chosen by the government as an alternative to the previous one, which was called Huduma Namba.
The implementation of Huduma Namba was hampered by legal cases and a lack of clarity.
A unique digital identify that can be checked in a straightforward manner will be made available to all citizens and residents of Kenya thanks to this innovative new method of identification.
Eliud Owalo, the Minister of Information and Communications Technology and the Digital Economy in Kenya, stated that the failure of the Huduma Namba was due to the method in which it was initially introduced. He emphasised how important it is to provide the general public with an explanation of any initiatives that are scheduled to be implemented.
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The significance of the UPI
The government of Kenya has explained the significance of the UPI as well as its worth to the country’s residents.
They added that the UPI is crucial to every Kenyan throughout their entire life, beginning with their educational journey, as it will serve as their identification number all throughout their primary and secondary schooling until it changes to their official national number at their adult stage.
They also mentioned that the UPI would serve as their identity number until it changes to their official national number at their adult stage. In addition, the UPI will continue to perform other functions, such as acting as the number for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the number for the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the number for the driver’s licence, and even the number linked with the individual’s death certificate.
As a result, the launch of the UPI indicates that the Huduma Namba project, on which the government spent a total of ten billion Kenyan shillings, has already been terminated. Because it was unable to win the trust of the general people, and nearly half of all citizens who were registered did not receive their ID cards.
The Kenyan government has made it clear that all of its people are required to get a Unique Identification Number (UPI). They also encourage citizens to calm their anxieties about the privacy and safety of their identities during this time when preventative measures are being implemented to reduce the likelihood of identity theft.
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About Huduma Namba
Kenya has registered births and deaths since 1907. The Registration of Persons Act, CAP 107, the Laws of Kenya, and other citizenship and immigration laws govern this process.
The Government of Kenya (GoK) began harmonised registration in 2005 to save duplication and cost. IPRIS coordinated this exercise.
Executive Order No. 1 of 2018 established the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) programme to create and manage a central master population database that will be the “single source of truth” on a person’s identity. All Kenyans and foreign residents will be in the database. The project is called Huduma Namba.