The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) is pushing for a decentralised system of distributing national identity cards and driver’s licenses to ease delays in access to government services.
Speaking in Nyeri on Tuesday, CAJ Chairperson Charles Dulo said his office is working closely with the Registrar of Persons to deliver processed documents to sub-county levels. This would make it easier for applicants to collect IDs and licenses through local chiefs, rather than waiting at Huduma Centres where thousands of documents remain uncollected.
“We are engaging the Registrar of Persons to ensure that once the IDs are ready, they are taken to the sub-county level so that the chiefs, who know the people who have applied for the IDs, can deliver them to the applicants,” Dulo explained.
He noted that the current notification system, where applicants receive an SMS, was not always effective. Many people fail to collect their documents due to missed messages or faulty communication systems.
In the Mount Kenya region alone, more than 25,000 national IDs remained uncollected as of April 2025, including 6,000 for first-time applicants. Dulo attributed this backlog to both inefficiencies in the collection process and late registration by citizens.
He added that the Ombudsman’s office is also seeking collaboration with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to address the network issues hindering verification and issuance of driving licenses.
“These documents are not only vital during elections,” Dulo emphasized, “but are also essential when registering for government services like the Social Health Authority, applying for HELB loans, and succession processes.”
Dulo called for stronger collaboration between national and county governments to sensitize the public on the importance of registering for and collecting IDs in good time.
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