Several people have raised concerns ahead of the rollout of the Digital ID in Kenya known as Maisha Namba.
Some critics have argued that Maisha Namba will be used to carry out surveillance on Kenyans.
However, a section of other concerned citizens argued that it is one of the human experiments supported by billionaire Bill Gates.
The billionaire set sight in Kenya after it was revealed that he would advise the country on the rollout of Maisha Namba.
“The deal will connect the government to key technical experts and partners who will offer professional advice to guarantee a smooth rollout,” reports stated.
Speaking to The Defender, Alexis Hancock, director of engineering for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, argued that the government needed to involve the citizens before bringing on board Bill Gates to avoid criticisms.
“Outside companies often pitch solutions to various governments that they can solve their problem with their product,” she said. “If governments are to implement this, the technology involved should be allowed scrutiny by the people first before anything is deployed, and delayed if it is not considered safe and equitable.”
According to Biometric Update, Maisha Namba is “expected to address different challenges such as identifying and authenticating citizens, safeguarding primary registration documents such as birth certificates and national identity cards, and improving the management of social programs and government operations.”
The identification number attached to Maisha Namba “will also be used to register for government services, including education, health insurance, tax and social security.”
Other medical experts argued, including Dr. Wahome Ngare, chairman of the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, who told The Defender that Maisha Namba will operate as a vaccination tracking program.
“Maisha Namba — Kiswahili for ‘life number’ — is a biometric vaccination system for newborns that will replace birth certificates and help track children from birth to 5 years of age,” Ngare said. “It will be used to monitor and ensure all children receive their vaccines.”
However, the government assured Kenyans that the new program is safe and will enable them to get services faster.
