The government, through the Ministries of Interior and Education, has officially begun distributing Maisha Card IDs to Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates. This initiative was launched by Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok at Ngomeni Secondary School in Kilifi County on Thursday, targeting over 900,000 Form Four students.
Bitok explained that providing Maisha cards to students currently taking their KCSE exams aims to address the common challenges they face when enrolling in tertiary institutions. “We’ve seen many cases where students are delayed or frustrated during university and college admissions due to a lack of IDs, which are required for these processes. We want to ensure eligible students leave high school with their IDs in hand.”
The distribution process is streamlined by using existing school records to verify citizenship, ensuring only eligible students receive IDs. The initiative also includes live biometric data capture, allowing IDs to be issued within seven days.
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“We’re collaborating with school heads, who already hold the necessary student information, to make the live capture process seamless. This allows for quick, accurate issuance of IDs,” said PS Bitok.
The launch follows concerns from students facing issues with the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) due to lack of identification. Last month, Members of Parliament, through the National Assembly’s Education Committee, summoned the Principal Secretary, urging him to address the issue permanently.
Bitok also encouraged Kenyans to pick up over 400,000 uncollected IDs from Huduma Centers and the National Registration Bureau nationwide. In addition, he inaugurated a new births and deaths registration office in Magarini constituency, Kongoni, intended to relieve pressure on the Civil Registration Services office in Malindi and improve access for local residents.
