Government has revealed that more than 400,000 national identification cards have gone uncollected across the country even as there is growing effort to get more Kenyans on the voters register.
Immigration Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang urged Kenyans to collect the uncollected identification cards on Friday during a tree-planting ceremony at Kapseret to mark Mazingira Day.
“We are calling on all who have applied to go and collect their IDs for immediate registration as voters,” Kipsang said.
The PS noted that the large number of uncollected IDs was of great concern, especially given the ongoing voter registration exercise that has yielded a paltry turnout in most parts of the country.
Government to Work with Local Chiefs for Deliveries
Dr. Kipsang said the government will closely work with chiefs and other administrative officers to ensure the ID cards are brought to their owners, particularly those who are unable to obtain them in person.
He also complained of the slow pace of new ID applications, particularly in the semi-arid and arid zones where the government had canceled vetting committees from border villages a move that was intended to streamline and speed up registration.
“We have made it very simple. We urge all qualifying citizens to go out and get their ID and become a voter,” he continued.
Senior Citizens Advised to Apply
The PS also advised senior Kenyans who are still waiting for their IDs to take advantage of the presidential directive that offers free application and collection of national identification cards.
He assured the nation that all that could be done to guarantee an effective and smooth exercise in voter registration before the next elections has been done.
“An ID is not a piece of paper it’s your identity as Kenyan and your ticket to access government services,” he emphasized.
