The government has unveiled a stringent new strategy to curb fraudulent national identification (ID) applications by foreigners following the revocation of what President William Ruto termed "excessive vetting" procedures. A national ID is one of the most crucial documents for any Kenyan and is used in registration and verification for voting, accessing financial services, securing employment, and benefiting from government programmes.
The new policy aims to tighten the issuance of IDs, ensuring that only natural-born Kenyans are eligible while safeguarding national security.
This comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of IDs by foreign nationals, which has prompted a reevaluation of the registration process.
According to policy documents seen by Kenyans.co.ke, at the heart of the new measures is an identity verification system that leverages well-established birth and school records. President William Ruto interacting with a local after signing the Presidential Proclamation on Registration and Issuance of IDs to Border Counties, Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
