The registration of Kenyans on the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) also known as Huduma Namba will go as planned but with conditions, the high court declared monday.
NIIMS which was launched sometimes in February required ‘arms and legs’ from Kenyans. Kenyans were required to give DNA and house location (Global Positioning System – GPS). They were also forced to register failure to which government services would be denied.
NIIMS was also supposed to be tied to Huduma services and Kenyans has a deadline to which hey were supposed to have registered.
These was seen by many as an attempt at easy mass surveillance.
Most kenyans had resisted and thank to the the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), the Interior Ministry is barred from sharing information collected during the exercise with any organisation for any reasons.
In short, these are the things that were suspended by the High court:
- No collection of DNA or GPS info
- No one to be compelled to register
- No tying services to Huduma Namba
- No deadline for NIIMS registration
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Nubian Rights Forum, and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) filed separate cases challenging the NIIMS programme on grounds that Kenya has no legislation on data protection.
NIIMS to be officially launched today
President Uhuru Kenyatta will launch the NIIMS programme in Machakos County while his deputy William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga will roll out the system in Kakamega and Mombasa respectively.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka will be in Murang’a County and Musalia Mudavadi in Kajiado to launch the same.
NIIMS seeks to capture data for persons from the age of 6, in order to create and manage a central master population register.
