Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates sitting for this year’s exams will receive the new Maisha Cards before the conclusion of the exams, according to Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok. Speaking on Tuesday, October 22, Bitok revealed that the initiative is aimed at students aged 18 and above among the 965,000 candidates registered for the exams.
The Maisha Card, designed to replace the traditional ID card for individuals turning 18, will ensure that students transitioning to university and other tertiary institutions can access essential services without the barrier of lacking identification documents.
“We have mobilized our registration officers across the country to issue Maisha Cards to eligible candidates. This will enable those who qualify to join local or international universities, apply for Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) assistance, scholarships, and other post-high school opportunities,” Bitok explained during a session with the National Assembly’s Education, Research, and Technology Committee.
The initiative is part of a collaboration between the Ministries of Interior and Education. Bitok also noted that the process of issuing the cards has become entirely paperless. Candidates can now apply for their Maisha Cards via the eCitizen portal, after which they can visit Huduma Centers or National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices for biometric data collection.
“We’ve gone paperless. Candidates can apply for their ID on the eCitizen portal and then visit any Huduma Centre or NRB county office for their biometrics. This information will be relayed in real-time to the NRB headquarters in Nairobi,” he added.
Addressing concerns raised by committee members regarding delays in issuing ID cards earlier this year, Bitok attributed the backlog to multiple court injunctions, which had stalled the issuance of Maisha Cards. However, he reported that the government has since resolved the delays by lifting the court orders, acquiring a new printer, and working around the clock.
“Our average daily applications total around 10,000, while our printing capacity stands at 32,000. So far, we have printed over 1.8 million cards, and 1.29 million have been collected,” Bitok reported, encouraging those whose cards are ready to collect them promptly.
