The government will issue Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) starting March 1, 2023, that will serve as an identification number from birth to death.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said IPU would serve as primary school and secondary school number, National Identification number, KRA Pin, and driving license number.
When a person dies, they will be automatically identified with the number.
“The government is moving services online by March, and all death and birth certificates be online. They will be accessed through E-citizen services, and people will be given what we call Unique Personal Identifier. When you register, you automatically receive the number that becomes your birth certificate number,” Bitok said.
The PS said that children born from March 1 will have the number.
He added the government is committed to bringing services to the people.
“Today is a great day because we’ve come here to Kijiado North to open the first civil registration office..”
He observed that people have been experiencing many challenges in applying for birth and death certificates.
It is estimated that 90 percent of birth are captured online, a move that is expected to reach 100 percent after the official digitization of government is launched in early March.
Bitok said that IPU is an indirect Huduma Number.
He said Huduma number targeted people above 18 years, but IPU involves the whole population.
The immigration department has also digitized its services, with all payments done online, officers in missions abroad have been having issues with payment.
The department is planning to undertake an Integrated Border Management Service, digitalization, facial recognition, e-gates, Passenger Name Record and Advance Passenger Indexing.
The move is part of the government’s switching shift to e-services to improve efficiency and reduce security loopholes.
For instance, since 2015, all foreigners visiting Kenya were required to apply for visas online through an e-visa system.
The government also rolled out the e-citizen, a one-stop portal for information and service to help Kenyans get fast transactions online conveniently.
The government also rolled out the e-citizen, a one-stop portal for information and service to help Kenyans get fast transactions online conveniently.
All government agencies are interlinked through a new computer system — Integrated Population Registration System — for the personal information of individuals.
President William Ruto says he is dedicated to matching the country to a digital revolution across the country, starting with how they access government services, browse the internet, earn from the digital space, employment, and education.
