Educate locals about Huduma Namba, Mandera MCAs say
Mandera residents during Huduma Namba launch on April 3, 2019. MCAs who spoke during the launch said more civic education is needed for locals to understand the importance of the digital registration. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Khalif said more time is needed for the local community in Mandera to be educated on the importance of the exercise.
- Mr Ali said most of locals have moved with their livestock to Somalia and Ethiopia in search of water and pasture.
- Warankara MCA Ahmed Gabman Ali said the number of youth engaged for the registration are too few for the vast Mandera County.
Members of the Mandera County Assembly have expressed reservations with the ongoing countrywide digital registration known as the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS), also known as Huduma Namba.
Speaking in Mandera town on Wednesday during the launch of NIIMS, the MCAs said the local community lacks understanding of the exercise.
County assembly Speaker Mohamed Khalif said it was not until he met the county commissioner that he understood a little about Huduma Namba.
“I have never understood this thing called Huduma Namba but I understood something when the county commissioner called asking me to attend this function,” he said.
MORE TIME
Mr Khalif said more time is needed for the local community in Mandera to be educated on the importance of the exercise.
“Most of our people do not understand this exercise and convincing them to register will be an uphill task,” he said.
Neboi MCA Abdi Adan Ali said locals are confusing the Huduma Namba registration with the population census.
“Enough civic education was not done and the time provided to carry out this registration is too little for any pastoralist community to participate,” he said.
According to Mr Ali, most of locals have moved with their livestock to Somalia and Ethiopia in search of water and pasture.
GRAZING
“We cannot have our people registered within 45 days as set out by the government as most of them are busy in the grazing fields,” he said.
Warankara MCA Ahmed Gabman Ali said the number of youth engaged to carry out the exercise are too few for the vast Mandera County.
“Having less than 10 youth to carry out this exercise in every ward is unrealistic and more have to be engaged for it to succeed,” he said.
Mr Hassan Noor Hassan, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, while launching the exercise, appealed to locals to register themselves.
“Huduma Namba is about easing service provision by the government and we have to register to benefit from the national government,” he said.
He said more civic education on the Huduma Namba will be done.
“The county commissioner will find time to educate our MCAs on this Huduma Namba so that those at grassroots level can get the right information,” he said.
