Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru on Wednesday, November 18 announced plans to phase out national Identification cards.

Mucheru stated that national IDs would cease operating by December 12, 2020 and replaced with Huduma Namba Cards.

The Huduma Namba cards are to be issued to citizens from December 1, 2020.

Kenyans who failed to sign up during the nationwide Huduma Namba registration process will have a chance to do so in an upcoming exercise.

Matiang’i led an event in Kiambu County to launch the distribution of the first batch of cards to registered citizens.

The government had previously reiterated that anyone without the card would be barred from accessing government services, a declaration that was challenged in court.