Obtaining The Maisha Namba Will Now Be Voluntary, Says Bitok

Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has desregarded the mandatory mass registration for the Maisha Cards.

In a statement issued on Thursday, August 29, Bitok announced that obtaining the Maisha namba will now be voluntary, with the government relying on the card’s advanced features to encourage adoption.

“The current ID (second generation) remains a valid registration document,” said Bitok. 

The new Maisha cards are expected to offer enhanced security and technological features that support digital identification.

“All newborns and individuals registering for IDs for the first time will be issued a lifetime Maisha namba, which will serve as their registration number for school, NHIF, KRA, and other government services,” Bitok added.

He had reviously stated that the new ID is being introduced to align with international identification standards.