The government can now roll out Maisha Namba after High Court on Friday lifted a December order blocking the implementation of the new digital ID cards.
The case, initially filed by a non-governmental organization called Katiba Institute, has also been transferred to the Constitutional Division for further review.
“High Court judge John Chigiti had stopped the Ministry of Home Affairs from rolling out the Maisha Namba pending the determination of a petition filed by the Katiba Institute,” reported Business Daily.
Maisha Namba, intended to replace the failed Huduma Namba initiative, aims to provide Kenyans with a digital ID with unique identifiers and a centralized population register.
However, concerns remain regarding the program’s legality, lack of privacy impact assessment, and limited public participation.
“Katiba Institute also argues that there has been no privacy impact assessment and that the rollout is taking place without meaningful public participation or publication of key information about the rollout,” the report further stated.
The NGO arguess that Maisha Namba shares similarities with Huduma Namba, requiring similar personal data without addressing previous concerns.
“The Maisha Namba, like the Huduma Namba, requires Kenyans to provide biographical and biometric information, including date of birth, gender, facial image, ancestry and contact details.”