SundayNation

Date:08.06.2014
Page9

Articlesize:391cm2
ColumnCM:86.88
AVE:187680.0

Statestartsprocesstoissue
Kenyanswith'super'ID
TopITexperthired 12yearswillberegistered.
Thenextphaseofthebroad
tooverseefresh transformationwillinvolve
nationaldigital digitalregistrationofland,
establishmentslikecompa
registrationofpeople niesandsocieties,andassets.
Thestrategywilllaterinvolve
sharedservicesingovernment
BYSUNDAYNATIONTEAM andaonestopshopforpublic
newsdeskfflke.nationmedia.com service.Infuture,therecords
willbeundertheNationalDigital

Thepromiseddigital
registrationofKenyans
hasbeenputinmotion
withtheappointmentofatop
ITexperttospearheadthe
mostradicaltransformationof
informationmanagementsince
independence.
MsJudyMwendeGatabaki,
whoissecondedfromtheAfrican
DevelopmentBank(AfDB)head
officeinTunis,waslastweekap
pointedactingDirectorGeneral
ofthegiantKenyaCitizensand
ForeignNationalsManagement
Servicethatisexpectedtocome
upwithanationaldigitalpeople
registrywithinsixmonths.
"Theprocesswillbedonein
phases,andisexpectedtogivea
clean,complete,correctandeas
ilyavailabledatabase.Thiswill
meanacleanupoftheexisting
recordsandfreshregistrationof
everyKenyanandforeignerin
thecountry,"saidasourcefa
miliarwiththeplans,whodid
notwishtobenamed.
Budgetapproval
DuringhisMadarakaDay
speechlastweek,President
UhuruKenyattapromiseddig
italregistrationwouldbeginin
thenextfinancialyearthatstarts
aftertheapprovaloftheBudget.
Heassuredcriticsthatthemo
tiveoftheprocesswastounify
themanagementofinformation
intoasingle,crediblesource.
TheappointmentofMsGata
bakibyInteriorMinisterJoseph
oleLenkualsoeffectivelymeans
planstobringtheImmigration
Services,thecivilregistry,the
nationalregistryandthedepart
mentofintegratedpopulation
registrationsystemunderone
Someofthesuspectsarrestedbypoliceduringacrackdownonillegal
immigrantsholdnationalidentificationcardsawaitingverification.The
governmentplanstoregisterKenyansafresh.
superagencyledbyadirector
generalwillsoonbecomplete.
Inthepast,therehavebeen
reportsofcorruptofficials
helpingforeignersinclud
ingsuspectedterroriststo
acquireSegalidentificationand
traveldocuments,andpeople
usingforgedpapersorthose
belongingtodeadpeople.
Theregistrationtocreate
adatabasethatis"thesingle
sourceoftruth"onallKenyans
frombirthtodeathwillrequire
thepresentationofexisting
documentstoacentre.
Thebiodatawillthenbere
cordedbeforefingerprintsare
taken,anirisscan(foridentifi
cationusingtheeye'sfeatures)
doneandadigitalpicturetaken.
Thedigitalimageismeantto,
FILEINATION
amongotherthings,providedata
tobeusedoncetheproposed
Shi5billionintegratedsecurity
systemiscomplete.
Crimedatabase
Theregistrationisalso
expectedtosetupacrimeda
tabasetohelpsecurityagencies
performtheirdutiesefficiently,
andfacilitatetheNyumbaKumi
initiativebyrecordingwhere
peoplelive.Visitorstohotelsand
guesthousewillalsohavetheir
detailsdigitallyrecorded.
"Thisisnotjustaboutsecurity,
therearealsosocioeconomic
benefitsexpected.Improved
servicesandthedisruptionof
corruptionnetworksarealso
envisioned,"saidoursource,
addingthatevenchildrenunder
RegistryService,
"Theplanalsoinvolveshaving
adataprotectionlawtoshield
theinformationfrombeing
accessedbyunauthorisedindi
viduals,"oursourcesaid.
Aftertheregistrationprocess,
thereareproposalstoprovide
oneidentificationcardwitha
15billion
Amountofshillingsgovernment
intendstoInvestintheinte
gratedsecuritysystem
chipthatcarriesallthedetails.
ButKenyansmayalsohave
digitalorpaperlessIDsthatwill
enablethemtoaccessservices
fromanywhere,anytimewithout
physicaldocuments.
"Citizenswillusemobile
phonestoauthenticatethem
selvestoaccesspublicservices,
insteadofrepetitivecompletion
offorms,"sayspartofthepro
posal.
Thedecisiontogetanexpert
fromoutsidethepublicservice
toleadtheprocessissaidtohave
beeninformedbythefailureof
pastattemptsmainlydueto
corruptpoliticalandbusiness
interests.MsGatabaki,whois
aspecialadvisortotheAfDBfirst
vicepresident,hasheldsenior
positionsintheUnitedNations,
theWorldFoodProgramme,
KenyaTeaDevelopmentAgency
andKenyaWildlifeService.
TheKenyaCitizensandFor
eignNationalsManagement
Servicewasformedin2011
throughanActofParliament
buthasbeendormant.

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