Kenya: Issuance of Huduma Namba cards is illegal
Published: 29/Dec/2020
Source: The Standard (Nairobi)
By Mustafa Mahmoud
On Mashujaa Day, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i handed the president his Huduma card and announced that the process of integrating personal data for Huduma Namba was complete. Soon after, the CS officially launched the distribution of Huduma cards.
These incidents attracted a lot of public attention. However, they were both in violation of the rulings of the High Court. In cases 56, 58 and 59 of 2019, the court halted implementation of the National Integrated Identity Management System and any processing of the data collected during the Huduma Namba registration process until a comprehensive framework was put in place to regulate key issues of privacy and exclusion.
The government would argue that it met the court’s requirement by publishing on October 13 rules for the Registration of Persons Act (National Integrated Identity Management System) as well as regulations on Data Protection (Civil Registration).
However, these regulations do not address two key court requirements, including how Kenyans without existing documentation can enroll. Thus, we are forced to ask: Why have a Judiciary if we do not respect its decisions?
Read further: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/commentary/article/2001398536/issuance-of-huduma-namba-cards-is-illegal