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Government to roll out ID that automatically qualifies one as voter

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Long queue seen at the Department of Immigration Services./Courtesy

The Principal Secretary (PS) in charge of Immigration and Citizen Services Julius Bitok has said that Kenyans who turn 18 will be issued with National Digital Identifier that automatically qualifies them as registered voters.

The PS made the remarks at the Sarova Stanley in Nairobi on Wednesday, February 15 during a meeting with the Kenya Editors Guild.

“The National Digital Identifier will be issued to Kenyans who have attained 18 years of age. This will be the third generation national identification card. Those who will have the national digital identifier will automatically qualify to vote,” said Prof. Bitok.

The PS further said that from March 1, 2023, newborns will be allocated unique personal identifiers (UPIs) that will act as lifetime identification numbers.

The number, Prof. Bitok said, will be written on the child’s birth certificate, and will also be his or her basic education number, KRA PIN will also be based on it and driver’s license, among other national documents.

Upon the death of the holder of the UPI, the number will be archived, the Principal Secretary said.

The Standard

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Milton Nyakundi

Milton Nyakundi is a veteran multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience across broadcast, digital, and print media, who relocated to the United States in 2022 and is now the Senior International Correspondent for Kurunzi News based in Washington, DC, USA. He has previously worked with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), among other high-profile roles with Kenya's first privately-owned media outlet - Kenya Television Network. His experience also include prominent roles as Media Consultant for Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and StarTimes Kenya. His career spans high‑stakes political reporting covering legislative and constitutional issues, elections, governance, and accountability across Kenya, Africa, and global arenas. He also boasts extensive sports journalism experience, covering local and international sports events, including leagues, tournaments and sports governance. He is well-known for his investigative depth, editorial leadership, and evidence-driven journalism that guides his consistent delivery of public‑interest storytelling across platforms.

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