The Kenyan government has set aside Ksh. 1 billion for something called a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI), which will be given to every Kenyan citizen.
This UPI will be provided to people right from birth.
This special identifier, known as the Maisha Number, will become the primary identification number for Kenyans throughout their lives.
It will be used for various important purposes, including education, paying taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and even as the number on death certificates when someone passes away.
Julius Bitok, the Immigration Principal Secretary, announced this plan on Tuesday.
He explained that this move follows a directive from the President to introduce a digital ID within a short period of 90 days.
Bitok said, “We are implementing the president’s directive that we introduce a digital ID within 90 days.
We shall now have a new number called the Maisha Number that everyone born in Kenya will have.
It will be the birth certificate number, used as the ID number, for work, for KRA PIN.”
Once Kenyans reach the age of 18, they will be issued a special card called the Maisha Card.
This card marks a transition from the current, traditional ID cards to digital identifiers.
Bitok clarified, “This is a move from second-generation to third-generation IDs. It will be accessible digitally so that those not willing to carry the physical copy can have a digital copy on their phones.”
The UPI, or Maisha Number, is set to be officially launched by President William Ruto on September 29th.
This initiative aims to streamline identification processes and make them more accessible and convenient for all Kenyan citizens.
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