Members of the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security have raised concerns over delays in the issuance of national identity cards to residents from Kenya’s border counties despite a government directive aimed at ending discriminatory vetting procedures.

Speaking during an oversight visit to Kisii County, Committee member and Lari MP Mburu Kahangara said the team visited the Civil Registration Services office and the National Registration Bureau to assess service delivery and identify challenges affecting citizens.

Kahangara said the committee found that residents from border counties continue to face lengthy verification processes when applying for identity cards, making it difficult for them to receive their documents on time.

“We have a directive from the President to eliminate the issue of screening, but the current process still appears to disadvantage citizens from border counties,” he said.

The lawmaker went on, “Many of them already have birth certificates showing they were born in Kenya and that their parents are Kenyan citizens. The additional verification process appears discriminatory.”

The legislator noted that while the registration of new ID applicants in Kisii County has exceeded expectations, thousands of processed identity cards remain uncollected.

According to the committee, the county had a target of registering 25,000 applicants but has already registered more than 34,000 people.

However, Kahangara said over 12,000 identity cards are yet to be collected across the county.

He urged residents to follow up on their applications and collect their documents once they are ready, noting that the introduction of digital systems has significantly reduced processing time.

He further encouraged Kenyans to register as voters after obtaining their identity cards to enable them to participate in future elections.