Government allocates Sh1.3b for IDs registration

By Nicholas Anyuor and James Omoro

The Government has allocated Sh1.3 billion for national Identity Cards registration before the general elections.

Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ said the registration exercise will target about five million people.

Kajwang’ said the money for the registration will be released soon by the treasury to avoid locking out Kenyans from voting.

He appealed to Kenyans to take advantage of the mobile registration programme that was recently launched.

"The programme will make it possible for those who need the identity cards register at their nearest churches, schools and chiefs’ camps," he said.

The minister, however, said there were hundreds of identification cards lying uncollected at the different registration offices countrywide and appealed to owners to collect them in readiness for elections.

Speaking during the burial of the late Seth Okeyo Oluoch in Homa Bay County, Kajwang’ advised the youth to register in large numbers so as to vote in the next general elections.