Did the government carry out proper education to ensure that at least 60% of Kenyans understand what Huduma Namba is all about?
The National Integrated Identification Management System has caught most people unawares. Most people are hearing this term as a vocabulary word which needs some explanation.
Which county has blown the whistle over this matter?
Members of the Mandera County Assembly have expressed reservations with the ongoing countrywide digital registration known as the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS), also known as Huduma Namba.
Speaking in Mandera town on Wednesday during the launch of NIIMS, the MCAs said the local community lacks understanding of the exercise.
County assembly Speaker Mohamed Khalif said it was not until he met the county commissioner that he understood a little about Huduma Namba.
“I have never understood this thing called Huduma Namba but I understood something when the county commissioner called asking me to attend this function,” he said.
Mr Khalif said more time is needed for the local community in Mandera to be educated on the importance of the exercise.
“Most of our people do not understand this exercise and convincing them to register will be an uphill task,” he said.
Neboi MCA Abdi Adan Ali said locals are confusing the Huduma Namba registration with the population census.
“Enough civic education was not done and the time provided to carry out this registration is too little for any pastoralist community to participate,” he said.
According to Mr Ali, most of locals have moved with their livestock to Somalia and Ethiopia in search of water and pasture.
“We cannot have our people registered within 45 days as set out by the government as most of them are busy in the grazing fields,” he said.
Warankara MCA Ahmed Gabman Ali said the number of youth engaged to carry out the exercise are too few for the vast Mandera County.
“Having less than 10 youth to carry out this exercise in every ward is unrealistic and more have to be engaged for it to succeed,” he said.
Mr Hassan Noor Hassan, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, while launching the exercise, appealed to locals to register themselves.