Kenya is intensifying push to streamline citizen registration with Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang spearheading a high-level awareness programme for national government administration officials (NGAOs) in Bomet County in South Rift.

The unprecedented move, however, has raised eyebrows with suspicion rising that there is a scheme afoot to give aliens Kenyan identification cards for political reasons.

Last year, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) – an international civil society – faulted Kenyan authorities for abetting human trafficking and the immigration department and United Nations offices for being facilitating cross-border crimes.

GI-TOC investigation also blacklist frontier counties and towns in eastern and western Kenya, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Daadab Refugee Camp, Mombasa and UN offices in the capital, Nairobi, as the hubs where illegal national documents are given to foreigners at a fee – often hefty bribes.

At the moment, the ministry of interior and the office of the president are fending off charges that thy irregularly gave Kenyan passports to Sudanese army general and nationals accused of crimes against humanity and possible genocide.

The initiative targets counties with low levels of documentation and seeks to accelerate the issuance of national identity cards, passports, and other essential citizenship documents, while clearing long-standing backlogs that have limited access to critical government services.

Speaking during the roll-out of the NGAO “sensitisation initiative” at Bomet University Hall, Mr Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services in the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, underlined the urgency of clearing backlogs in ID registration, passport processing and citizenship services.

“This exercise is aimed at fast-tracking pending applications and ensuring that every eligible Kenyan is properly documented. So our chiefs need to be properly informed on the approach to close this gap within the documentation system,” said Kipsang.

Government data show that Bomet County has approximately 213,000 residents without voter cards and 42,000 without national identity cards, which underlines significant gap in civic registration.

“These numbers show that we still have a lot of work to do. We are calling upon the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) to step up and ensure that no one is left behind,” Kipsang added.

The principal secretary revealed that the government has set an ambitious target to register over 60,000 residents in Bomet by mid-May, with a special focus on engaging young people in schools.

“By mid-May, we will be visiting schools to register new applicants. Our goal is to bring over 60,000 new members on board. Chiefs will play a central role because they are best placed to coordinate this exercise at the grassroots,” he stated.

Also present was Gilbert Kitiyo, secretary at the National Registration Bureau (NRB), who disclosed that thousands of processed ID cards remain uncollected.

“As of March 27, 2026, Bomet has 8,099 uncollected IDs. Out of these, 4,702 fall under NPR while 3,397 are categorised under other registrations. We urge NGAO officers to intensify efforts in identification, verification and delivery,” Kitiyo said.

Bomet County Commissioner Carolyne Nzwili called on chiefs and assistant chiefs to immediately implement the new directives, stressing the importance of full compliance with national registration laws.

“Every Kenyan above 18 years must have a national identity card, and every child must have proper documentation such as a birth certificate. This is not optional – it is a legal requirement and all are free,” Nzwili affirmed.

She also commended NGAO officers for their ongoing efforts in the county, noting a positive impact on security.

“I applaud our chiefs and assistant chiefs for their dedication. Since we intensified these efforts, cases of crime and illicit brews have significantly reduced,” she added.

The government has underscored that proper identification is increasingly becoming a gateway to accessing critical public services and economic opportunities.

National ID cards and birth certificates are key requirements for citizens to access government services such as subsidised fertilisers and certified seeds distributed to farmers, registration under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and participation in the Affordable Housing Programme.

Officials noted that without proper documentation, many eligible Kenyans risk being locked out of these initiatives, which are designed to improve livelihoods, enhance food security, and expand access to healthcare and housing.

The ongoing registration campaign is therefore expected to bridge this gap, ensuring that more residents are included in national development programs and social protection systems.

The exercise is part of a broader national strategy and is expected to be rolled out across more than 20 counties where data indicates low levels of citizen registration and documentation.