By Monica Zabibu and Mandere Onyinkwa

 Members of Parliament have praised the efficiency of registration services in Kisii County but expressed concern over a growing backlog of 12,774 uncollected national identity cards.

National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security of registration and civil documentation also raised concern over persistent vetting requirements for applicants from border regions.

During an inspection tour of the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and Civil Registration Offices (CROs) in the county on Saturday, the committee commended officers for maintaining high standards despite staffing and infrastructure constraints.

Led by Lari MP Mburu Kahangara, the delegation, which included Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Representative Caroline Ngelechei, Teso North MP Oku Kaunya and Mount Elgon MP Fred Kapondi, assessed the quality of registration and civil documentation services offered to residents.

Kahangara said the committee was impressed by the speed of service, particularly in the issuance of birth certificates.

“We found that citizens are able to obtain some of these documents on the same day. We want to commend the officers for the good work they are doing,” he said.

The lawmakers also lauded registration officers for exceeding their targets. According to the committee, Kisii County registered more than 34,000 applicants against a target of 24,000, representing about 150 per cent performance.

Despite the achievement, MPs expressed concern over a backlog of 12,774 uncollected national identity cards in the county.

“In Kisii County alone, there are 12,774 uncollected IDs. We urge wananchi to follow up and collect their documents once they register. With the introduction of live capture machines, the production and issuance process has become much faster,” Kahangara said.

The committee further questioned why applicants from Kenya’s border counties continue to undergo additional screening despite a presidential directive abolishing the practice.

“We have realised that citizens from border counties still face challenges in obtaining identity cards. Although there was a presidential directive to eliminate screening, the current process still subjects them to additional verification requirements and demands for more documents,” he said.

Kahangara argued that many of those affected already possess birth certificates proving they were born in Kenya to Kenyan parents.

“These are citizens who already have birth certificates showing they are Kenyan by birth. Subjecting them to further vetting and identification processes is discriminatory,” he added.

The MPs cited cases involving students from border communities such as the Suba and Kuria who face lengthy verification procedures while their peers elsewhere receive identity cards without similar hurdles.

The committee said it would engage the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to streamline the registration process and ensure equal treatment of all applicants.

While noting that civil registration services in Kisii were operating efficiently, the lawmakers warned that the government’s directive to establish civil registration services in every sub-county could strain existing resources.

Kahangara said the expansion programme was likely to create staffing and infrastructure challenges and pledged that the committee would address the issues during future budget allocations.

The committee also received security briefings indicating that Kisii County remains largely peaceful and urged residents to maintain unity as the country approaches the next election cycle.

Lawmakers encouraged citizens to collect their identity cards and register as voters, noting that the documents are essential for accessing government services and participating in democratic processes.