Huduma Kenya, on Thursday, May 30, revealed that pending court cases had delayed the issuance of National Identity cards.
This announcement followed numerous complaints from Kenyans about the lengthy wait times for ID replacements applied for months ago.
Huduma Kenya acknowledged the delays in issuing new IDs and replacements, informing the public that those needing to replace their identity cards must now pay Ksh1,000.
“We are experiencing delays due to the high court order that blocked the production of new digital ID cards, known as Maisha Cards,” Huduma Kenya stated to concerned citizens. “The issue has been resolved, and we are working to reduce the backlog and have your ID ready soon.”
The issuance of the new digital IDs, or Maisha Cards, was halted by the courts in December 2024 after the Katiba Institute filed a petition. The petition cited the Data Protection Act, expressing concerns that the biometric data collected posed risks to the rights and freedoms of data subjects.
On February 23, the High Court lifted the injunction, allowing President William Ruto’s administration to proceed with the rollout of the digital ID cards.
Since then, the Ministry of Interior has been working to clear the backlog caused by the court injunction.
In November 2023, Interior Cabinet Secretary announced that the immigration department would charge Ksh1,000 for ID replacements to generate more revenue.
Kindiki had initially proposed a Ksh2,000 fee for ID replacements but retracted the Gazette Notice a day later following public outcry.
“The new intended charges, fees, and levies have been adjusted to accommodate public views received following the publication of the revoked Gazette Notices,” Kindiki announced on November 14, 2023.
Huduma Kenya also informed that those seeking ID replacements need a police abstract, which can be obtained from any of their centers across the country.
