Government Now Printing 32,000 IDs Per Day

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services resumed the printing of National IDs. The High Court had initially issued a conservatory order on July 25, 2024 which temporarily halted the issuance of the third-generation ID cards.

According to the Ministry, it has cleared the previous backlog, but over 470,000 National ID cards remain uncollected in registration offices and Huduma Centres across the country.

The Principal Secretary Julius Bitok is urging those who have made applications to visit the registration centers where they initially submitted their applications to collect their cards promptly. He added that the National Registration Bureau (NRB) has managed to clear the backlog of National ID card applications and has ramped up the printing capacity to 32,000 National ID cards per day to expeditiously process new requests.

Only 1,358 applications are currently awaiting routine processing. The PS said that by July 25, some 451,228 National ID card had been received at NRB and were in various stages of production. Additionally, 108,697 National ID card applications were received between August 12 and 26, at the NRB production center.

“In the last 14 days, the NRB has printed 505,197 National ID cards (162,856 new and 344,341 duplicates). Only 1,358 applications are currently in the routine processing queue,” Bitok said.

Read Also: Strive To Keep Fit And Live A Maisha Fiti, Hitting The Gym Is Not All About Just Lifting Weights

According to PS, Nairobi county has the highest number of uncollected ID cards (55,327), followed by Kiambu with 37,708 and Nakuru with 28,581 uncollected cards. Other counties with significant numbers of uncollected IDs include Kisumu (18,529), Mombasa (17,140), Kisii (15,842), Muranga (13,627), Uasin Gishu (13,155), Kajiado (12,533), and Bungoma (12,053).

The Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said that applicants seeking information on the status of their National ID card application and other pertinent details can reach the NRB through various communication channels. Toll-free line: 08000230007; X handle: Sajili_IDKe; Facebook: NRB Kitambulisho or Instagram: National Registration Bureau.

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has assured Kenyans that the ministry is committed to easing access to passports, IDs, birth certificates, death certificates and, other critical citizenship documents. The CS added that they are dealing with historical backlog, eradicating corruption and, streamlining procurement processes.

Read Also: Giving SMEs In Kenya A Thread To Grow Through The European Investment Bank