Kapenguria: The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, has officially launched a mass registration exercise aimed at providing national Identity Cards (IDs) to marginalised pastoralist communities in West Pokot County. This initiative represents a significant government effort to improve access to essential services for these communities.
According to Kenya News Agency, the exercise will be conducted concurrently in West Pokot, Turkana, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. This forms part of a broader government strategy to address historical gaps in civil registration within pastoralist regions. Many community members in these areas have faced challenges in accessing registration services, resulting in a lack of national identity cards and the inability to benefit from essential government services.
CS Murkomen highlighted the importance of this initiative, noting that the marginalisation of pastoralist communities in accessing registration services has prevented many citi
zens from accessing basic government services, such as medical cover under SHA, housing programmes, and other social services. The lack of proper documentation has also hindered national planning efforts, particularly in the health and education sectors, and excluded elderly citizens from government payment programmes.
To tackle these issues, the Ministry has launched a Rapid Results Initiative in the North Rift, northeastern Kenya, and parts of the northern coastal region. This initiative is set to run for two months before transitioning into a sustained mobile registration programme nationwide. The deployment of live capture registration machines, a new portable technology, supports this effort by allowing officers to register citizens from virtually any location.
Murkomen explained that the registration drive would occur in every ward, with each ward being assigned a fully equipped vehicle to facilitate mobility. The Ministry is collaborating with county governments and Members of Parliament, supported b
y the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), which has provided vehicles for the initiative.
In West Pokot County alone, the government aims to register nearly 100,000 people who currently lack national identity cards. Murkomen clarified that the registration is not solely for voting purposes, emphasizing its importance for other essential services. Similar targets have been set for other counties participating in the exercise.
The Cabinet Secretary encouraged Kenyans nationwide to take advantage of the ongoing registration drive, noting that services have been fully decentralised. He reminded the public of the government’s decision to abolish all fees associated with first-time ID registration and replacement of lost IDs, following a directive by President William Ruto.
Murkomen assured residents that registration officers are already deployed across West Pokot and other participating counties, remaining on the ground for at least ten days. The exercise will also occur over weekends
to maximise reach. Registration will be conducted in public spaces, including churches, markets, funerals, and community gatherings, such as harambees, to capture as many citizens as possible.
The mass registration drive is part of the government’s broader commitment to inclusive service delivery and equitable development, particularly in historically underserved regions. Murkomen promised rewards for chiefs who successfully mobilise more people to acquire IDs during the exercise.
Meanwhile, Dr. Belio Kipsang, PS State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, praised the efforts of chiefs during the registration process, especially for farmers and SHA identification. He reiterated the government’s reliance on chiefs as vital partners, having registered millions of farmers across the country.
