Thousands of IDs uncollected in Garissa, says administrator

Garissa residents who applied for national identity cards but are yet to collect them have been urged to visit the Huduma Centre and pick up their documents.

County commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said thousands of processed IDs remain unclaimed.

He expressed concern over the large number of identity cards that have been lying uncollected for months, despite efforts by the government to streamline the application process. He spoke during a public function in Garissa town on Tuesday.

“I want to call on all residents who applied for ID cards but have not yet collected them to visit our Huduma Centre and confirm whether their cards are ready. As we speak, we have thousands that remain uncollected,” Mwabudzo said.

The county commissioner emphasised that acquiring an ID card has been made easier, with minimal bureaucratic hurdles, and urged residents to play their part by collecting the documents once they are ready.

“The government has eased the process of acquiring an ID card. There is not much hustle. As we work to fast-track processing and ensure the cards are ready as quickly as possible, residents must also take responsibility by collecting them,” he said.

Mwabudzo said IDs are essential for voter registration ahead of the upcoming electoral cycle next year.

He said the electoral commission is targeting to register at least 4,000 new voters during the ongoing one-month continuous voter registration exercise.

Mwabudzo warned that the target may not be achieved unless eligible residents collect their ID cards and proceed to register as voters, stressing that participation in elections is a constitutional right.

His remarks came a day after Health CS Aden Duale made a similar appeal, calling on residents to collect their IDs and register as voters.

Duale also pledged to follow up with the National Registration Bureau in Nairobi to ensure pending applications at various stages are expedited.

Residents of Garissa Township queue to register as voters at Garissa Primary School /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

The renewed calls came amid growing concern from local leaders who fear that voter registration targets may not be met due to delays in ID issuance, particularly among the youth.

Leaders, including a Balambala constituency aspirant Ismail Arale, lamented that many young people who applied for ID cards months ago are yet to receive them, locking them out of the voter registration process.

He called for a coordinated effort between government agencies and residents to ensure timely collection of ID cards.

“My appeal to residents is to take this exercise seriously because it is a critical step toward enhancing civic engagement and inclusive participation in the country’s democratic processes,” he said.