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Kenya · ID documents

Maisha Namba unique personal identifier and digital ID

Disputed Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: Not published

Kenya's Interior Ministry began piloting Maisha Namba, a lifelong unique personal identifier, on 1 November 2023 1. Katiba Institute challenged the roll-out, arguing that no data protection impact assessment had been done and that the system built on data collected during the Huduma Namba exercise 1. On 5 December 2023 Justice John Chigiti granted leave that operated as a stay 1. Kenyans.co.ke reported on 23 February 2024 that the court lifted the stay and moved the case to the Constitutional Division 2. The outcome of that case, the vendor and the system cost were not confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Key terms

Buyer
Ministry of Interior, State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services
Vendor
Not published
Vendor based in
Not confirmed
Signed
Not published (pilot began 1 November 2023)
Duration
Not published
Value
Not published
Funding
Not published
Procurement route
Not published
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
Not published

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. 5 December 2023: High Court Justice John Chigiti granted leave operating as a stay of the roll-out, on a Katiba Institute application arguing no data protection impact assessment was done under section 31 of the Data Protection Act, as reported 1
  2. 23 February 2024: The High Court lifted the order and transferred the case to the Constitutional Division, after the Interior Ministry argued two divisions risked conflicting judgments, as reported 2

Sources

  1. Kenyans.co.ke: High Court Suspends Rollout of New Digital IDs (5 December 2023)
  2. Kenyans.co.ke: Court Allows Interior Ministry to Roll Out Maisha Namba (23 February 2024)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to [email protected]. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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