NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 14 — Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has officially launched the Maisha Card mass registration campaign in Kilifi, targeting over 900,000 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates nationwide.
This initiative is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to streamline the process of university and tertiary institution admissions for students.
Bitok emphasized that the Maisha Card is essential for ensuring that students can easily access higher education without being hindered by the lack of identification documents.
The card, which contains personal details of the holder, is expected to play a key role in the admission process to universities and colleges.
“By facilitating students with the Maisha Card, we aim to eliminate barriers to accessing education, ensuring that no student is disadvantaged due to missing identification documents,” said Bitok while appearing before the National Assembly’s Education, Research and Technology Committee earlier.
In a bid to enhance efficiency, Bitok also revealed that the Maisha Card registration process has gone paperless.
This digital approach, which is currently being piloted at Huduma Centres and National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices in county headquarters, allows applicants to apply for their Maisha Card through the eCitizen portal.
Once the application is made, individuals can visit any Huduma Centre or county office for biometric capture.
The captured data is transmitted in real-time to the NRB headquarters in Nairobi, ensuring that Maisha cards are issued within ten days.
The Maisha Card, introduced by the government in November 2023, is valid for ten years and will serve as an official identification document.
The card aims to modernize the national ID system by consolidating personal information in a secure and easily accessible format.
The joint initiative by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Education seeks to ensure that students nationwide smoothly transition from secondary school to higher education without unnecessary administrative delays.
Source: capitalfm
