Not all African countries require their citizens to carry a national identity card, but the number is rapidly increasing. ECOWAS Member States have committed to introduce a common-form biometric identity card by 2017. The introduction of these new systems may be based on concerns for national security or to improve delivery of public services: but for these aims to be achieved, law and procedures must ensure that people are not arbitrarily excluded from acquiring these documents.
Every citizen should have the right to a passport, enabling international travel, which should not be removed except following due process of law (for example, from a person accused of a serious crime).
Only some African countries establish an independent judicial procedure for a person to obtain a “certificate of nationality” or alternative document that is conclusive proof that a person is a national.
A parliamentary panel has proposed that Zimbabwe’s 39 embassies across the globe be empowered to issue national documentation such as IDs and passports to migrants to decongest the Registrar General’s office. The parliamentary portfolio committee on Defence and Home Affairs…
Opinion By Cris Magoba On March 2, 2016, the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State launched the new generation EAC e-passport and directed that its issuance takes effect from January 1, 2017. The Heads of State further directed that…
By Maureen Kakah The battle against a platform for digitising and centralising citizens and foreigners’ records was taken to court Monday. Kenya Human Rights Commission wants the government stopped from implementing the National Integrated Identification Management System (Niims). KHRC sued…
By KEVIN CHERUIYOT Kenya Human Rights Commission has moved to court challenging the pilot programme of the National Integrated Identity Management System dubbed ‘Huduma Namba’. The government on Monday started testing the Sh6 billion plan to register 50 million Kenyans for…
By Misairi Thembo Kahungu Kampala. The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) will today commence a three months massive registration of citizens to be enrolled on the national register and for issuance of National Identification Numbers (NINs). NIRA’s public relations…
Alice Munyua Last month, the Kenya Parliament passed a seriously concerning amendment to the country’s national ID law, making Kenya home to the most privacy-invasive national ID system in the world. The rebranded, National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) now…
By Misairi Thembo Kahungu Kampala. At least 2.4m Ugandans aged 16 and above have not enrolled for the National Identity Cards, Daily Monitor can reveal. These include 585,265 people whose application for National IDs has been queried because they provided…
By Kirera Mwiti A group of Senators and MPs have called on new legislation to address the rising number of stateless persons in the country. The lawmakers called on the government to ease the process of acquiring an ID noting…
Summary: Proof of identity is essential in enhancing social economic development of all persons in Kenya. As we move to the digital age, analogue identities are being converted into digital identities for use by governments, business enterprises and even access…
Executive Summary In today’s digital age, robust, inclusive, and responsible civil registration and identification systems play important roles in providing citizens with a legal identity and generating vital and demographic statistics. Universal coverage of these systems improves the accessibility, integrity,…