The joy of finally holding a national identity card was unmistakable on the faces of dozens of senior citizens who turned up for a government-led mobile registration drive in Siaya County.
For many of them, the small laminated card represents far more than identification, as it is a long-awaited key to services and rights they have been denied for decades.
Though visibly elderly, some way in their 70s, the residents narrated lives lived on the margins of the system, having coped without a national ID in a country where the document is mandatory for accessing critical government services.
For years, their lack of documentation locked them out of social protection programmes, healthcare registration, voter participation and even basic administrative services.
For decades, these senior citizens were undocumented, and the ongoing national drive to issue them with IDs is now reversing years of exclusion that many describe as an injustice carried quietly through their adult lives.
Under Cap 107 of the Registration of Persons Act, all Kenyan citizens who attain the age of 18 are required to register for legal recognition.
The law mandates that registration must be done within 90 days of turning 18, providing individuals with legal identity and access to essential government services, including voter registration and participation in elections.
However, for thousands of elderly Kenyans, historical barriers — ranging from lack of awareness and distance to registration centres, to cost and administrative hurdles meant that compliance never happened.
As a result, many grew old without the document that underpins citizenship in Kenya.
Today, the government is seeking to correct that gap. In January 2026, a targeted mobile national identity card registration drive was rolled out, focusing on senior citizens and previously undocumented individuals.
The initiative is part of a broader national programme by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to address historical injustices that left many elderly Kenyans without identification.
The drive specifically targets elderly citizens, some in their 70s, who have lived for decades without national IDs.
To reach them, the government is deploying mobile “Live Capture Units” that travel to villages and remote areas where access to registration offices has traditionally been difficult.
The importance of the national ID card cannot be overstated. It is the primary proof of citizenship and identity, and for adults, possession of the document is not optional.
It is a legal requirement for interacting with public institutions and exercising civic rights.
One of the most critical services tied to the national ID is voter registration. Kenyans must present a valid ID to register as voters and to cast their ballots during elections or referenda. Without it, citizens are excluded from the democratic process.
The ID is also mandatory for accessing government employment, including recruitment into the public service, disciplined forces and state agencies, where it is required for verification and payroll registration.
In addition, financial and social services offered by the government are inaccessible without an ID.
These include registration and use of the eCitizen platform — which over 400,000 users access daily — enrolment into SHA and NSSF, applications for government licences and permits, and participation in social protection programmes such as the Inua Jamii cash transfer.
In the education sector, IDs are required for university admissions processes, Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) applications and registration for examinations beyond secondary school.
Kenyans must also produce an ID to obtain passports, register SIM cards, access courts, register land and property, and process civil documentation such as marriage certificates and title deeds.
Without a national ID, many citizens are effectively locked out of daily life and essential services, underscoring the central role the document plays in governance and service delivery.
Alongside new registrations, administrators are actively tracking and delivering more than 400,000 previously uncollected IDs to their rightful owners.
This follows a directive from President William Ruto to ensure that all citizens — particularly the elderly — receive ID cards without discrimination or cost.
Hundreds of senior citizens from Alego Usonga turned up for the ongoing mobile registration drive, many of them having lost their identification cards in the 1980s or never having been registered at all.
Their turnout reflected renewed hope of finally accessing key government services.
Lunyu Dispensary in Usonga Ward was swarmed with residents. While younger applicants queued patiently, the elderly were given first priority, some assisted by relatives and local administrators.
The mobile registration exercise was launched nationwide in October 2025 and has since been running across all wards.
To further ease access, the government waived registration and replacement fees, a move that has seen hundreds more senior citizens in Usonga and beyond turn up to replace lost IDs or register for the first time.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo hailed the large turnout, describing it as a major milestone toward inclusion and equity.
“For decades, many of these elderly citizens were left undocumented, a historical injustice that denied them access to essential government services and the ability to fully exercise their democratic rights,” Omollo said.
He added that the initiative corrects long-standing exclusion while affirming the government’s commitment to dignity, participation and equal opportunity for all Kenyans.
Meanwhile, State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang has been leading a sensitisation programme for National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) on the revised national registration guidelines.
The programme, held at the Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa County, brought together administrators and heads of directorates to strengthen implementation.
The sensitisation focused on familiarising officers with the revised framework and emphasised the importance of expanding mobile registration outreach to ensure all eligible Kenyans have access to identification services.
Kipsang has urged administrators to support and expedite legitimate applications, provide accurate registration data and enhance public awareness, noting that access to identification is a constitutional right and a foundation for socio-economic inclusion.
He has also encouraged citizens to acquire national IDs to access government services, highlighting the growing reliance on digital platforms.
“To enhance mobile registration, the Government has deployed 100 live capture machines, with additional units set to be rolled out nationwide to further intensify registration across the country,” Kipsang said.
by Allan Kisia
