Author Archives for Bronwen Manby

Zimbabwe: Is Registry Sabotaging Issuance of National Identity Cards?

October 19, 2021 3:15 pm Published by Comments Off on Zimbabwe: Is Registry Sabotaging Issuance of National Identity Cards?

MUTARE – Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust (ZEAT) has called on the Registrar`s Office to come up with a mechanism to deal with the delays being experienced in the issuance of national Identity documents. ZEAT Executive Director Ignatius Sadziwa said delays […]


Egypt Achieves Nationality Law Reform But Gaps Remain

October 18, 2021 9:14 pm Published by Comments Off on Egypt Achieves Nationality Law Reform But Gaps Remain

The Boston University International Human Rights Clinic is currently in the fourth year of a project mapping the issues of statelessness throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by engaging in country-by-country in-depth studies. As discussed in a recent […]


“The Cart Before the Horse” – A Kenyan Court Just Quashed a USD 95M Biometric Digital ID Project

October 18, 2021 5:48 pm Published by Comments Off on “The Cart Before the Horse” – A Kenyan Court Just Quashed a USD 95M Biometric Digital ID Project

By Laura Bingham The case is a watershed moment in the regulation of data-driven public sector initiatives The Context: A Global Biometric Identification Industry Digital technologies dominate decisions about the future of public infrastructures like civil registration and electoral systems, […]


Kenya: Consortium Applauds Court Judgement Declaring Huduma Cards Illegal; Calls for Further Reforms

October 18, 2021 1:46 pm Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Consortium Applauds Court Judgement Declaring Huduma Cards Illegal; Calls for Further Reforms

On 14 October, the High Court struck down the Government of Kenya’s decision to roll out Huduma Cards due to violations of the Data Protection Act, 2019. The Court found that the government had started collecting personal data from Kenyans […]


Towards securing children’s rights to birth registration in Zimbabwe

October 18, 2021 8:57 am Published by Comments Off on Towards securing children’s rights to birth registration in Zimbabwe

By Thobekile Matimbe Introduction Are the provisions in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013 (the Zimbabwean Constitution) which give effect to prompt provision of birth certificates to children mere cosmetic glamour? Sections 81(1)(b) and (c) of Zimbabwe’s Constitution provide for children’s […]


Kenya: Huduma Namba: AG files notice of appeal against illegality ruling

October 15, 2021 6:27 pm Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Huduma Namba: AG files notice of appeal against illegality ruling

Attorney General Kihara Kariuki has filed a notice of appeal against the judgement that quashed Huduma Namba cards rollout. The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Jairus Ngaah. The AG said he is dissatisfied with the judgment. Read further: […]


New Kenya High Court Judgment Sets Important Precedent for Digital ID Privacy Protections and Processes

October 15, 2021 1:46 pm Published by Comments Off on New Kenya High Court Judgment Sets Important Precedent for Digital ID Privacy Protections and Processes

NEW YORK—The Open Society Justice Initiative welcomes a recent judgment handed down by the High Court in Kenya declaring the data collection and roll-out of biometric Huduma cards for the country’s digital ID system, the National Integrated Identity Management System […]


Kenya: Huduma Namba illegal, High Court declares

October 14, 2021 6:28 pm Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Huduma Namba illegal, High Court declares

The High Court has declared the Huduma Namba rollout illegal on grounds of conflicting with the Data Protection Act, 2019. The ruling comes after Katiba Institute, a lobby group, sued the Interior Ministry, arguing that no safeguards had been given […]


Natural Born Liberians with Foreign Citizenships Still Regarded as Liberians, Entitled to Liberian Passport

October 14, 2021 6:05 pm Published by Comments Off on Natural Born Liberians with Foreign Citizenships Still Regarded as Liberians, Entitled to Liberian Passport

By Lennart Dodoo MONROVIA – Natural born Liberians who have taken on other citizenships are still entitled to all rights reserved to Liberians and a Liberian passport – hence a green light to dual citizenship. FrontPage Africa has obtained a […]


Liberia: Govt Says “Dual Citizens” Can Now Obtain Passports

October 14, 2021 5:56 pm Published by Comments Off on Liberia: Govt Says “Dual Citizens” Can Now Obtain Passports

Monrovia, Liberia, Washington, DC – October 14, 2021: Liberians who supposedly lost their citizenship after naturalizing in other countries can now reclaim same. The Ministry of Justice in Liberia issued an advisory to the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on […]


Kenya: Republic v Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Information Communication and Technology & 2 others; ex parte Katiba Institute & Yash Pal Ghai

October 14, 2021 12:43 pm Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Republic v Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Information Communication and Technology & 2 others; ex parte Katiba Institute & Yash Pal Ghai

Republic v Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Information Communication and Technology & 2 others; Katiba Institute & another (Exparte); Immaculate Kasait, Data Commissioner (Interested party) (Judicial Review Application E1138 of 2020) [2021] KEHC 122 (KLR) (Judicial Review) (14 October […]


Kenya: Courts declare Huduma Namba invalid

October 14, 2021 9:49 am Published by Comments Off on Kenya: Courts declare Huduma Namba invalid

By Kamau Muthoni The High Court has declared Huduma Namba invalid after ruling that the law wasn’t followed in its roll-out. Justice Jairus Ngaah ruled on Thursday, October 14, that the Government failed to conduct data impact assessment before rolling […]