The Kenyan government has addressed concerns about the new Maisha Identity Cards, which now have an expiration date. Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok clarified the need for renewal every ten years.
Why Renewals Are Necessary
The Maisha IDs come with microchips that hold personal information and enhance security. These microchips, like those in ATM cards, expire after ten years, necessitating card renewal.
Election Influence Allegations
Some civil societies claimed the expiration was to influence the 2027 General Election. The government refuted this. Bitok emphasized, “The expiry date has no direct correlation with the general election date.”
Renewal Requirements
For renewals, Kenyans won’t need new biometrics. However, they must retake passport photos due to possible facial changes. The National Registration Bureau (NRB) has upgraded its printing capacity to handle up to 30,000 IDs daily, meeting the average demand of 10,000 applications.
Since November 2023, 972,630 Maisha cards have been issued across Kenya.
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