The long awaited Huduma Card is finally here and you can pick yours. The card was launched on Wednesday November 18, 2020 by Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i and Joe Mucheru in Kiambu and Machakos Counties, respectively.
This follows the fulfillment of the requisite requirements, including the recent appointment and swearing-in of the Data Commissioner, Ms. Immaculate Kassait.
Todays’ milestone marks the beginning of a phased, nationwide roll-out starting the 1st of December, 2020.
In view of the COVID-19 prevention and control protocols, citizens will be notified via SMS on when and where to pick their cards. Individuals will have a month from the date of notification to collect their cards.
Kenyans will be glad to note that the process of distribution of the cards will continue over the duration of a year in line with the period provided for in the law.
The types of Huduma card issued will include:
• Minors’ Huduma Card, which will be issued to children who have attained the age of six years;
• Adults’ Huduma card, issued to citizens who has attained the age of eighteen years;
• Foreign Nationals’ Huduma card, issued to foreign nationals; and
• Refugees’ Huduma Card, issued to refugees.
In order to attain full inclusion of all persons in Kenya in the system, there will be another opportunity for mass registration in April 2021, while routine registration will continue thereafter.
The Huduma Namba, a fully Kenyan funded and developed solution, will operate as the primary source of data on every citizen and foreigner. This integrated database will enable the use of biometric data to identify people and assist them in accessing Government services.
Data in the Huduma Card is fully confidential and the Government has taken all the necessary technical and legislative measures to make it secure.
The Huduma Card will replace the current National Identity Cards, IDs.
