Kenyans will soon employ iris and fingerprint scans to verify their identities while conducting transactions using the upcoming digital ID system.
According to local reports, President William Ruto announced that the government is conducting a pilot of the digital identification system for the next two months, with plans to make it available to the general public in December 2023.
“The digital ID, which has been a major problem to us for a very long time, is now on testing mode for the next two months. I have been assured by all the stakeholders and the ministries concerned that by December [2023] we will be able to launch digital IDs,” Ruto said during the launch of the East Africa Device Assembly Kenya plant in Athi River, Machakos County.
“… Where every Kenyan doesn’t need to carry any paper, plastic or anything else as an ID. They should be able to be identified digitally using their IDs or fingerprints and we can transact without the necessity of people struggling to identify who they are.”
This is coming barely a month after a parliamentary committee recommended the expulsion of WorldCoin cryptocurrency identity project from Kenya terming its activities as acts of espionage and a threat to statehood. WorldCoin came under fire for registering Kenyans onto its database by way of scanning their irises to gather identity information.
🇰🇪 Similar to the #WorldID by @worldcoin, Kenya plans to implement a similar biometric digital ID.
World ID is a privacy-preserving digital identity designed to help solve important, identity-based challenges, including proving an individual’s unique personhood,
World ID was… pic.twitter.com/QKY9WkauGG
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) October 30, 2023
The activities by WorldCoin raised furor in Kenya, as government agencies and civilians said the company had no rights to acquire Kenyans’ data, while doubts were cast over the safety of the gathered data. It remains to be seen what data protection measures the Kenyan government has put in place for the upcoming voluntary digital identity scheme.
The digital ID is being introduced in conjunction with Maisha Namba, a replacement for a similar program, Huduma Namba, based on blockchain, which was suspended in 2021 over data protection guarantees. Maisha Namba will function as an exclusive personal identification number designated to Kenyan citizens upon registration, typically at birth, and will serve as their lifelong personal identity reference, spanning from birth to death.
Furthermore, it will serve as their Personal Identification Number (PIN) for accessing a wide range of government services, including KRA, NSSF, NHIF, and NEMIS, throughout their entire lifetime.
The digital ID will serve as a digital portrayal of an individual, organization, or device, typically encompassing personal characteristics, qualifications, and verification information.
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