Welcome move on IDs

The government’s announcement that it will issue new identity cards should be implemented to the letter.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has announced that Sh1.3 billion has been earmarked between now and June to provide the IDs to millions of eligible youths.

There has been public outcry over the delay in issuing of the cards, mainly attributed to lack of funds or corruption. Without IDs, one cannot vote or transact business. Technically, it locks out many young people from participating in elections.

Notably, similar announcements have been made in the past but were never effected. Resources were never provided and if they were, bottlenecks were created by the administration and clerks at the local level. Cases abound where provincial chiefs or clerks demand bribery before issuing IDs.

Unnecessary rules like asking applicants to provide details of their grandparents or married women providing affidavits or getting clearance from their parents made the whole process cumbersome.

This time round, the government must handle the process differently to ensure that all eligible persons acquire IDs so that they can participate in the elections and be empowered to transact business.