President William Ruto’s administration is on edge once again as it anticipates a pivotal court ruling scheduled for Tuesday, which could potentially disrupt one of his flagship projects.
In December of last year, the High Court of Kenya halted the implementation of Maisha Namba, designed to replace Huduma Namba, citing the absence of a data protection impact assessment.
The court is now poised to decide on the transition from the conventional identification card to the official launch of the Maisha Namba card.
The state initiated the pilot phase of the project on November 1 last year, with a particular focus on two groups of Kenyans. Speaking to the press, Immigration and Citizen Services PS Prof Julius Bitok explained that the pilot phase would concentrate on first-time applicants.
“All Kenyans turning 18 years old, regardless of their location in Kenya, will be issued a Maisha Card on a pilot basis. This approach allows us to identify any potential errors or issues before the official launch,” he stated.
The Maisha Card introduces a unique personal identifier (UPI) number known as Maisha Namba, serving as the primary and lifelong registration and identification reference for cardholders.
The outcome of Tuesday’s court decision will determine the fate of the Maisha Namba rollout.
A denial by the court would mark another setback for the administration, following previous rulings related to the deployment of police officers to Haiti and the implementation of the housing levy.
