Narok County Commissioner Evans Achoki has rolled out the distribution exercise for Huduma Namba cards in the county after the county received the first batch of 329 cards.
Achoki said the cards will be arriving in phases according to the order in which the residents registered and will be handed over to the Deputy County Commissioners who in turn will put the names of all the people whose cards had arrived on public notice boards.
Later, the DCC through the Assistant County Commissioner’s office will be required to hand over the cards to the chiefs who will distribute them to individuals in their areas of jurisdiction.
“I want the members of the public to regularly visit the notice boards of the DCC where they registered so that they can be given the important document. The cards will be arriving in phases,” said Achoki.
He asked those with acknowledgement slips to carry them for ease of identification but confirmed that even in cases where someone has displaced the slip, they will still get the card.
The county commissioner spoke Thursday at his office where he handed over the cards to the first beneficiary in the county and to the Narok North Deputy County Commissioner Mutuku Mwenga for distribution.
During the Mashujaa Day celebrations at the Gusii stadium, President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta were the first recipients of the new cards.
The cards were to be distributed after the appointment of Data Commissioner, who has since been approved by the National Assembly.
The new data commissioner Immaculate Kassait’s immediate role was to manage the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) where at least 37 million Kenyans are registered.
A Huduma namba card captures data on personal details on the National Social Security Fund, National Health Insurance Fund, Kenya Revenue Authority and an individual’s bio data.
Kenya will phase out the current National Identification Cards by December next year as the Huduma namba card will serve as an official government document for identification.
The new system is expected to manage and control illegal immigrants and foreigners engaged in criminal activities such as terrorism, drugs and fraud.
It will also facilitate national planning and efficient provision of service to various government organs as it will reduce the burden of carrying several cards.
By Ann Salaton
