Starting December 1st, 2020 the Huduma Number cards will start being issued countrywide and effectively replacing National Identity Cards. Speaking of National ID cards, the government will phase them out by December 12, 2021 as stated by ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru. The CS added that SMS messages will be sent to the people whose cards are ready. The text will have information on where to collect your Huduma Number card. After receiving the SMS, you will one month to pick your card at designated centers. 37.7 million people have already registered, but in case you aren’t one of them, worry not, Interior CS, Matiang’i, revealed that on April 2021, there will be a new mass registration exercise. “There is an enemy called the file which we are trying to get rid of in public service. The days of lost files, long queues and wastage of time instead of providing efficient service to citizens will be a thing of the past,” said CS Matiang’i. It will be wise to take advantage of this new mass registration if you missed the first one since, without the cards, you will not be able to access almost all essential services in the country. You will not be able to exercise basic rights such as voting, or critical services such as acquiring healthcare services, applying for a driver’s licence, National Identity card, birth certificate, paying taxes, sell or buy land as well as operate a bank account without the card.The card compiles all your data in one place, in addition to your fingerprints and photograph, your biodata info is also captured , including name, parents, nationality, education, disability and employment status are captured in the system. The government will use this information to control illegal immigration, security surveillance, national planning and appropriation of state services to various population categories such as the elderly, children, the disabled, small and medium enterprises. Fines related to Huduma number are as follows, trying to access State services without the card will attract a Sh 1 million, fine or 1 year in jail. Any person caught giving false information during registration of the card will face 5 year jail term or 5 million penalty.
