Bitok rubbished the alleged link between the introduction of the Maisha card and a plan to rig the 2027 election saying the earliest the 10-year expiry date on the cards will come into effect is 2033.
The Immigration Department on Thursday, August 29 outrightly denied claims that the introduction of the Maisha Card digital identity was related to the 2027 general elections.
Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok was speaking at the Nairobi Serena Hotel after hosting a breakfast meeting with representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), religious leaders, the private sector, youth and other special groups.
Bitok rubbished the alleged link between the introduction of the Maisha card and a plan to rig the 2027 election saying the earliest the 10-year expiry date on the cards will come into effect is 2033.
“This assertion is unfounded. The first Maisha card was printed in 2023. If you do the maths, you’ll clearly see that the first card to expire will be in 2033 long after the next election,” he affirmed.
Immigration PS Julius Bitok speaking during a high-level breakfast meeting with key stakeholders from civil society organizations, religious leaders & the private sector on August 29, 2024. /JULIUS BITOK
Bitok made this clarification in response to concerns raised by civil society organizations (CSOs) in July this year on the matter when they expressed outright dismissal of the newly introduced Maisha Namba for Kenyan adults under the updated identification system.
“What has been christened the Maisha number has an expiry date. IDs are critical in matters to do with voting. We want an explanation. It raises a lot of suspicion, and one can see it is a scheme to rig elections in 2027,” the CSOs expressed during a press conference.
They emphasized the need for clarity and transparency from the government, suggesting that the inclusion of an expiry date could potentially be exploited for electoral manipulation in the upcoming elections, which are now three years away.
Demanding immediate answers from the authorities, the civil society groups asserted that the new IDs were purportedly set to expire in 2032, coinciding with the end of President William Ruto’s term if re-elected in 2027.
However, their sentiments were contradicted by media fact-checks establishing that the cards expire in 2034, two years after the 2032 elections.
Meanwhile, Bitok expressed confidence in the sophisticated features of the Maisha Card, noting that once the citizens recognize its advantages, they will appreciate the value of signing up.
The Maisha Card, also known as the 3rd Generation ID, incorporates modern technology and biometric capabilities in line with international standards and global trends.
The PS defended the 10-year expiration date on the Maisha Card as aligning industry practice, international conventions and the reality of technological wear and tear.
It is also meant to factor in changes attributable to facial and other biometric features of the ID card holder over the years.
“The expiration of your ID does not diminish your citizenship status; it simply indicates that your ID needs to be renewed,” he explained.
Image of a sample Maisha Namba card. /VELLUM KENYA