Digital identity programs in jurisdictions with weak privacy
regulations face the risk of commodification, breach and misuse.
This risk is exacerbated when governments link digital identity
with citizenship, voting rights, public services, and employment.
This piece discusses Kenya's digital identity program, Huduma
Namba.
Huduma Namba
Kenya's Huduma Namba, meaning service number in Swahili, is
a biometric digital identity program. It is intended to be the
'single source of truth' about a person's identity.
Kenya established the National Integrated Identity Management
System ("NIIMS") in 2019 through a
miscellaneous act amending the Registration of Persons Act, 1949.
The NIIMS is intended to administer the collection and storage of
personal data for the Huduma Namba program. This amendment faced
criticism for being inadequate and obfuscatory.1 Kenya then released a draft of the
Huduma Bill, 2019 ("Huduma Bill"). The
Huduma Bill is a standalone statute intended
