Gates Foundation Set to Offer Guidance on Maisha Namba Launch

The State will get guidance on the implementation of the Maisha Namba new digital ID system from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Maisha Namba, a one-of-a-kind personal number assigned to the Maisha Card, a third-generation digital identity card, and the National Master Population Register are two components of the plan for a digital identity that aim to combine various existing, independent databases into a single register.

“Our role is always as an adviser. We can connect the government to key technical experts and partners, but we’re very encouraged by what we see and by the President’s commitment. We have a number of specific investment support on digital identity. We actually provide it to broader platforms” Mark Suzman, CEO at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, told a local daily while attending a conference of the World Bank and IMF in Marrakech, Morocco.

According to the government, digitizing personal identification will also help Kenya comply with rules for foreign travel issued by the foreign Civil Aviation Organization and other organizations.

The Kenya Kwanza administration is depending on Maisha Namba’s successful launch to complete the project, which has encountered difficulties in the past.

“This is a huge priority of President Willam Ruto, and we think very appropriately so because a strong, robust, open-source digital identity system actually becomes a platform that not only leverages financial inclusion, where Kenya is already a global leader but can be a platform that actually drives important advances in health care, in education and other services. We’ve been working with some other partners we have,” said Mr Suzman.

President William Ruto had scheduled the introduction of Maisha Namba for October 2nd, but Julius Bitok, principal secretary for immigration and citizen services, announced a postponement on September 29th.