ID cards now to be processed within 21 days

Applicants of new identity cards will now receive them within 21 working days, the government has said.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok on Wednesday said the processing timeline is meant to hasten the issuance of IDs in Mandera and other border counties.

“We are determined to make it easier for citizens to obtain important services including IDs and other documents. We have therefore directed that no applicant will have to wait for more than 21 days from the date of application to receive his or her ID,” Bitok said.

He was speaking in Lafey, Mandera County, during the opening of the Civil Registration Services (CRS) office for the issuance of birth and death certificates.

Last week, the PS announced that birth certificates and death certificates will now be processed on the same day of application.

At 13% and 6% of birth and death registration respectively, Mandera has among the lowest rates in the country. The national average stands at 86% and 55 % respectively.