Kenyans will soon be able to obtain new ID cards within ten days starting next month, according to Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Julius Bitok.
This reduced waiting period is made possible by the rollout of live capture equipment in Huduma Centers and National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices across the country.
Additionally, the NRB has enhanced its printing capacity with the recent acquisition of two new printers, further accelerating the ID processing time.
“It will now take no more than ten working days from the date of application, down from the previous 21 days, to get your ID. We want Kenyans to acquire their IDs as quickly and conveniently as possible,” Bitok announced during the World ID Day celebrations held in Katoloni, Machakos County.
World ID Day, commemorated on September 16, celebrates the importance of national identification and other essential registration documents.
This year’s event in Machakos featured on-spot registration services for IDs, birth certificates, certificates of good conduct, and other crucial documents.
Machakos was chosen as the venue for the event due to the high number of eligible ID applicants, with over 32,000 youth awaiting registration.
Currently, Machakos County reports a birth registration rate of 78 per cent and a death registration rate of 43 per cent.
During his speech, PS Bitok also responded to local leaders’ requests for an immigration office in the region to ease access to passports and other travel documents.
Machakos MP Caleb Mule emphasized the need for more NRB and Civil Registration Services (CRS) offices to reduce the distance residents must travel to access services.
“Our citizens are commuting long distances in search of identity documents. For instance, residents of Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado, and Kitui counties currently face the burden of travelling to Embu or Nairobi for passports, which is costly and time-consuming,” Mule said.
