Members of Parliament commended the efficiency of registration services in Kisii County but raised concerns about a significant backlog of 12,774 uncollected national identity cards.
The National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security highlighted ongoing concerns about vetting requirements for applicants from border regions.
During their inspection tour of the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and Civil Registration Offices (CROs) in the county on Saturday, the committee acknowledged officers for maintaining high standards despite staffing and infrastructure limitations.
Led by Lari MP Mburu Kahangara, the delegationcomprising Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Representative Caroline Ngelechei, Teso North MP Oku Kaunya, and Mount Elgon MP Fred Kapondievaluated the quality of registration and civil documentation services provided to residents.
Kahangara stated that the committee was impressed with the service speed, especially regarding birth certificate issuance.
“We observed that citizens can obtain certain documents the same day. We commend the officers for their excellent work,” he said.
The lawmakers also praised registration officers for surpassing their targets. According to the committee, Kisii County registered over 34,000 applicants against a target of 24,000, achieving approximately 150 percent performance.
Despite this achievement, MPs expressed concern about the backlog of 12,774 uncollected national identity cards in the county.
“In Kisii County alone, there are 12,774 uncollected IDs. We encourage citizens to follow up and collect their documents after registration. With the implementation of live capture machines, the production and issuance process has become significantly faster,” Kahangara said.
The committee further questioned why applicants from Kenya’s border counties continue to undergo additional screening despite a presidential directive that abolished the practice.
“We have observed that citizens from border counties continue to face challenges in obtaining identity cards. Despite a presidential directive to eliminate screening, the current process still subjects them to additional verification requirements and demands for more documents,” he said.
Kahangara argued that many of those affected already possess birth certificates proving they were born in Kenya to Kenyan parents.
“These are citizens who already have birth certificates indicating they are Kenyan by birth. Subjecting them to additional vetting and identification processes is discriminatory,” he added.
The MPs cited cases involving students from border communities like the Suba and Kuria who face lengthy verification procedures while their counterparts elsewhere receive identity cards without similar obstacles.
The committee stated it would engage the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to streamline the registration process and ensure equal treatment of all applicants.
While acknowledging that civil registration services in Kisii were operating efficiently, the lawmakers cautioned that the government’s directive to establish civil registration services in every sub-county could strain existing resources.
Kahangara stated the expansion program would likely create staffing and infrastructure challenges and pledged that the committee would address these issues during future budget allocations.
The committee also received security briefings indicating that Kisii County remains largely peaceful and urged residents to maintain unity as the country approaches the next election cycle.
Lawmakers encouraged citizens to collect their identity cards and register as voters, noting that these documents are essential for accessing government services and participating in democratic processes.