Over 800 identity cards are lying uncollected at the Registrar of Person’s offices in Moyale Sub-County of Marsabit County.
This was revealed on Tuesday by the Sub-County Registrar of Persons (SCRP), Andrew Kimiteri who said that there are 817 identity cards whose owners are yet to collect them.
Speaking during an interview with KNA in his office in Moyale, Kimitei said 471 identity cards belonged to people who required replacement while 346 were new applicants and appealed to the owners to collect the IDs at the Sub County registration office in Moyale during normal working hours.
“We are using the chiefs and their assistants to try and trace many people who had applied for the documents both new applicants and replacement but after the IDs were brought from Nairobi, the applicants have been reluctant to collect them,” Kimitei said.
Kimitei stressed the importance of the document, saying it opens avenues for other transactions that include government services, travelling and financial matters.
He has however appealed to leaders to mobilise the applicants and urged them to collect the documents early instead of waiting for the last minute when an is required.
The SCRP said the law makes it clear and mandatory that someone who has reached 18 years should acquire an identity card, failing which one will be guilty of committing a criminal offence under the Registration of Persons Act.
Kimitei said that previous delays witnessed while processing of the document given Moyale is along the border hence the need for vetting, the process is now efficient compared to the past.
He however assured the applicants that it only takes some few days for one to secure an ID adding that the vetting process had to be stopped following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are waiting to be given the go ahead from the headquarters so that we can resume vetting and processing of the documents but whoever had undergone the process can keep on checking if the document has been finalized,” the registrar said.
By Gatana Muchira
