Members of the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security have raised concern over delays in the issuance of national identity cards and civil registration documents in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The committee, which met officers from the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and the Civil Registration Department, was told that inadequate staffing, poor funding, lack of transport and weak infrastructure were hampering service delivery.
NRB County Officer Sharon Chelimo said applicants were supposed to receive IDs within two weeks, but were now waiting between one and two months.
“It is supposed to be two weeks, but it is not doing that,” Chelimo said, blaming delays in processing at headquarters and poor internet connectivity.
She said the county also experiences delays in receiving printed IDs from Nairobi, even after applications are transmitted on time.
Chelimo said the introduction of Live Capture Units (LCUs) had improved processing for new applicants, as data and photographs are captured electronically and sent directly to Nairobi.
“The IDs are now being processed faster,” she said.
However, she noted that the gains were being undermined by resource constraints. Some sub-counties, she said, receive as little as Sh10,000 for fuel per quarter, forcing officers to use their own money to buy stationery.
On transport, Chelimo said the county has no functional vehicle, with one written off and others in poor condition. This has made it difficult to conduct registration in remote, mountainous areas and to collect documents from health facilities.
Elgeyo Marakwet County Civil Registration Officer Dave Kimutai echoed the concerns, citing transport challenges, inadequate operational funds, poor ICT equipment and need for continuous training.
Staff distribution in Elgeyo Marakwet National Registration Bureaus
He said the department had adopted cashless payments via eCitizen and displays official fee schedules to enhance transparency.
“We don’t receive cash. We use eCitizen for payment,” Kimutai said.
The committee also questioned staff distribution, with Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Representative Caroline Ngelechei saying deployment should be based on workload and population, not concentrated at headquarters.
“Before we leave here, we ensure that we talk to them so that you can distribute your staff here,” Ngelechei said, proposing more officers for Kerio Valley and Marakwet West.
Officers further told the committee that many births are registered late, despite the requirement to register within six months, while errors made at health facilities force families to incur extra costs for corrections.
The committee heard that rejected ID applications are often returned without reasons, leaving local officers unable to advise applicants.
The committee’s interim chairperson, Nakuru Woman Rep Liza Chelule, asked officers to submit detailed recommendations for inclusion in the committee’s report.
The officers called for increased funding, vehicles, staffing, better ICT infrastructure, digitization of records and improved communication between county offices and headquarters.
