Government tells Public to give their views on Huduma Namba Draft Regulations

 ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng addressing the press during the official opening of public participation forum on registration of persons Act {National Integrated Identity Management System} Regulation, 2020 in Kisumu-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

 By Dickson Odhiambo

February 27, 2020

Government tells Public to give their views on Huduma Namba  Draft Regulations

MEMBERS of the public have been asked to submit their views on the new regulations that is the Registration of Persons Act popularly known as the National Integrated Identity Management System regulations, 2020.

Interior and Coordination of National Government Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiangi said the public has a right to  give their views on the regulation through a process of public participation which  is enshrined in the constitution of Kenya 2010.

Addressing the participants during the official opening of public participation forum on registration of persons Act {National Integrated Identity Management System} Regulation, 2020 in Kisumu, in a speech read on his behalf by the Principal Secretary in the State department of ICT and Innovation Jerome Ochieng, Matiangi said the objective of the regulations is to give effect to Section 9A of the Registration of persons Act, Cap.107. 

Matiang’i says the regulations sets out the operations and components of the NIIMS data base, the Huduma Namba and the Huduma Card.

“Today presents us with a golden opportunity to scrutinize the regulations, get any clarifications about them and above all, submit any issues that you would like considered before we submit them to the National Assembly,” Matiang’i said in the speech.

The Cabinet Secretary says the public will engage constructively during the said forums on the draft regulations and once approved by the National Assembly then the Government will thereafter put the required measures and start issuing Huduma Namba and Cards.

On his part, Principal Secretary in the State department of ICT and Innovation Jerome Ochieng the Data Protection Act of 2019 regulations which is also currently under public participation process to the public alongside the registration of persons Act {National Integrated Identity Management System} Regulation, 2020.

He says the coming up of the regulations are as a result of the three-judge bench ruling that was made last month of January in respect to the Huduma Namba process.

“Within the ruling there were some conditions such as before issuing Huduma Namba and cards there were certain conditions that should be met hence leading to the coming  up with the two regulations,” the PS says.

The PS says the formation of the office of the Data Commissioner will be done soon and an advertised.

He says the Data Protection Act is very clear on the recruitment of the Data Commissioner which is a process that must be done in accordance to the law.

The Registration of Kenyans in the Huduma Namba took about 52 days  as from April last year and was an epic success as at its closure, 37,724,521 Kenyans and foreign nationals personal data was digitally captured.

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