Kenya Eyes December 2023 Launch for Digital Identification System
Summary:
Kenya plans to launch a digital identification system in December 2023, promising a more efficient way to access state, educational, and medical resources. The system, currently under testing, will pair with Maisha Namba, a service providing lifelong personal ID numbers, aimed at digitizing Kenyan registries. The government encourages private sectors to adopt the system, emphasizing its potential to transform e-commerce and mobile banking transactions. Despite these advances, Kenya's central bank questions the necessity of implementing a Central Bank Digital Currency in the near term.
The Kenyan administration is preparing to launch its digital identification system in December 2023, following a few months of rigorous testing. Kenya's President, William Ruto, made this known during his speech at the East Africa Device Assembly Kenya plant in Athi River, as reported by local media on October 30th. He acknowledged that the digital ID, a long-standing challenge, is currently in its testing phase, scheduled to last two months. He confirmed that all relevant stakeholders and ministries have given their assurance of a successful digital ID rollout by December.
The digital IDs will operate in conjunction with Maisha Namba, a service that allocates unique lifelong identification numbers to Kenyan citizens upon their registration. This combined ID system aims to digitize the country's registries, enabling quicker access to public, academic, and health services.
Kenya's recent formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate Worldcoin was also highlighted. Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary of Immigration and Citizen Services, in an August briefing, stated: "The digital identity system offers a secure and dependable way for Kenyans to establish their identities for various undertakings, such as accessing government services, operating bank accounts, and traveling...it's designed to mitigate fraud and corruption and enhance efficiency."
In September, Bitok encouraged private entities to adopt the digital ID systems, highlighting their potential to spur inventive solutions like mobile banking and agent networks, and facilitate e-commerce processes." Assurances were made that the government would ensure the system's design promotes commerce and simplifies business transactions.
However, the Central Bank of Kenya raised concerns in June 2023, expressing reservations about the need to apply the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) within the short to medium term. They pointed out the existence of "other innovative solutions within the current ecosystem" that could address Kenya's "pain points" in payments. The news also mentioned a magazine article that provides an in-depth report on Bitcoin's effect in Cuba.
Published At
10/31/2023 8:41:34 AM
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