The Registration of Persons Department in Migori County has rolled out Mobile Live Capture Machines in a move aimed at accelerating the registration and processing of National Identity Cards (IDs) and improving access to registration services across the County.
Speaking during the launch at the County Registration Office, Migori County Registrar of Persons Julia Otieno said the initiative is part of the government’s efforts to modernise the national registration system and bring essential services closer to citizens.
Otieno said the Mobile Live Capture Unit is an innovative technology that enables the capture and transmission of applicants’ biometric data electronically, significantly reducing the processing period for National Identity Cards.
She noted that under the new system, eligible applicants are expected to receive their identity cards within three to seven days after submitting their applications, compared to the longer waiting periods experienced under the manual registration process.
The initiative, launched nationally in July 2025 by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, seeks to enhance mobile registration services and increase access to national identification documents across the country.
Otieno said the technology would improve efficiency, enhance accuracy in data capture and speed up the issuance of identity cards, particularly for residents in remote areas who previously had to travel long distances to registration offices.
She added that the government had also simplified documentation requirements for first-time applicants to ensure that no eligible Kenyan is denied an identity card because of a lack of conventional documents.
According to the registrar, applicants who do not possess birth certificates can now present alternative documents such as school leaving certificates, baptismal cards or other acceptable records to facilitate the registration process.
She urged residents, especially young people who have attained the age of 18 but are yet to acquire national identity cards, to take advantage of the ongoing exercise by visiting their respective sub-county registration centres.
Otieno explained that Mobile Live Capture Machines have been distributed to registration officers in all the county’s sub-counties to enable both office-based registration and field outreach programmes.
She said registration officers will conduct mobile registration exercises in villages, schools and other public places to ensure that eligible citizens who are unable to visit registration centres also benefit from the programme.
Applications captured during field outreach activities will be transmitted electronically to the county registration office for processing, helping to eliminate delays associated with manual handling of records.
The registrar said the decentralised approach would improve service delivery by reducing congestion at registration offices while increasing the number of citizens obtaining national identity cards.
She emphasized that possession of a national identity card is essential for accessing government services, opening bank accounts, registering for higher education, securing employment and participating in national development programmes.
Otieno said the department would work closely with National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) to ensure all eligible residents in Migori’s 12 sub-counties are reached through the exercise.
“We will liaise with the National Government Administration Officers to ensure all eligible residents in our 12 sub-counties receive these services and fast-track the issuance of identity cards to our people,” she said.
By Yvonne Anyango and Marsha Abila
