By Staff Writer | Wajir Today | Monday, 29 September 2025
Students from Wajir County on Monday celebrated receiving their national identity cards just a week after registration, marking a historic milestone in the government’s ongoing reforms to simplify access to identification documents.
For decades, residents of border counties such as Wajir have endured delays and rigorous vetting procedures before being issued with ID cards, a situation that has fuelled complaints of marginalisation.
The reforms, spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior, are now being felt on the ground following the removal of extra vetting requirements and fees for first-time applicants.
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the breakthrough in a statement, noting that the changes are already transforming lives, particularly for young people in pastoral regions.
“Following the scrapping of extra vetting requirements to register for IDs in border counties and the removal of fees charged on first-time applications, more people are turning up to register for IDs,” Murkomen said.
He explained that the introduction of Live Capture Unit technology, deployed in schools and remote areas, has enhanced efficiency and accessibility of the service. The technology was used to register students at Wajir Girls Secondary School during last week’s Jukwaa la Usalama tour of the county.
On Monday, the students received their ID cards at a ceremony presided over by Wajir County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo, alongside County Registrar Galgalo Ofole and other senior registration officials.
The issuance, coming just seven days after the students submitted their applications, is being hailed as unprecedented since Kenya’s independence.
Local leaders and residents described the move as a turning point for border communities that have long struggled with bureaucratic bottlenecks in the registration process.
For many, the ID card is more than just an identification document; it is the gateway to opportunities such as higher education enrolment, formal employment, banking, and participation in national elections.
Murkomen assured Kenyans that the reforms are permanent and will be expanded to all corners of the country. He pledged further improvements to ensure that no Kenyan is left behind in accessing this critical document.
“It now takes three to seven days to receive an ID Card once a person is registered. We shall step up our reforms in the sector to ensure no Kenyan is left behind,” the CS stated.
The development is expected to encourage higher registration turnout in Wajir and other parts of Northeastern Kenya, where the lack of IDs has been cited as a barrier to economic and social inclusion.
