Lack of birth certificates is slowing down the registration of the National Integrated Information Management System {NIIMS} in Tharaka Nithi County even as over half of the targeted number of people has been captured.
County Commissioner Ms. Beverly Opwora said so far, 288, 484 persons out of a target of 463, 507 have registered and urged those who were yet to visit the registration centres to do so as early as possible so that by the closure of the exercise on May 17, everyone would have their Huduma Namba.
Ms. Opwora who was briefing members of the County Development Integrated Coordination Committee noted that issuance of the birth certificates was crucial for the registration of those without National Identity cards and that the local Registrar of Births and Deaths was under firm instructions to provide them as soon as possible.
She announced that the registration teams were always at their stations as early as 8.00am and people should visit them early enough to avoid queuing.
The officer in charge of early childhood education at the County Education office Mr. Edward Njoroge also informed the committee that arrangements were in place to register students both for the NIIMS and the Unique Personal Identification Number {UPI}.
A survey carried out by the Kenya News Agency around the county indicated that although some people were against issuance of NIIMS at the outset mainly on religious grounds, most had changed their minds and were now ready to take part in the exercise.
The County Commissioner said the registration exercise would not be extended come May 17 and everyone should feel duty bound to register.
By Kenneth Marangu
