Govt to hire 1,200 temporary clerks to help register Kenyans for IDs
Uncollected ID cards in Kisumu. The government will employ 1, 200 registration clerks to help Kenyans acquire identity cards before the next General Election. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Treasury has already approved Sh655 million for the recruitment and support the issuing of the vital document.
- The CS told the members of the committee that he had already asked chiefs to work with the clerks to ensure everyone who has reached 18 is registered for an ID.
- MPs complained that most of their constituents were not able to get the documents because registration centres were inaccessible.
The government will employ 1, 200 registration clerks to help Kenyans acquire identity cards before the next General Election.
The Treasury has already approved Sh655 million for the recruitment and support the issuing of the vital document.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery on Tuesday revealed that the clerks would be employed on a one-year contract and will move across the country registering citizens above 18 who do not have IDs.
Speaking on Tuesday when he appeared before the National Assembly Security Committee chaired by Tiaty MP Asman Kamama, Mr Nkaissery said the government was keen on enabling many Kenyans to acquire the document.
The allocation for the recruitment is contained in the Sh94 billion supplementary budget for the Interior ministry that has already been approved by the Treasury but which is awaiting Parliament’s nod.
The CS told the members of the committee that he had already asked chiefs to work with the clerks to ensure everyone who has reached 18 is registered for an ID.
“You can ask your people to apply for these jobs. In fact I told my PS to ensure MPs and senators get their people to apply for these jobs. However, we will make sure they are competitively recruited,” said the CS at Parliament Buildings.
He also revealed that he had sent a directive to all chiefs to ensure that everyone who had attained 18 years is registered.
MPs complained that most of their constituents were not able to get the documents because registration centres were inaccessible.
They, however, welcomed the recruitment saying it would help most of the Kenyans without an ID to get one.
Loima MP Protus Akujah said registration centres were still difficult to access to most Kenyans in vast counties in the northern region.
“The ID registration office is in Lodwar Town in Turkana County. This is about 400 kilometres from the farthest end of my constituency. How do you expect someone to go this distance to register for an ID?” posed the lawmaker.
Others said they were planning to use their own funds to pay for the movement of the current clerks in their constituencies.
The CS appeared before the House team to defend the supplementary budget before it’s subjected to a vote.
