Government to issue national IDs to eligible learners in schools
Secondary school principals across the country will act as identification agents in an ambitious initiative by the government to register learners who are eligible to for national identity cards.
The role has previously been performed by chiefs and other National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs). Learners who are 18 years and over will be issued with ID cards in schools, a break from the common practice where youth struggle to obtain the vital document.
The initiative is expected to increase of Kenyans with IDs and also qualify them to register as voters. According to the Economic Survey 2025, there are 4,321,600 learners enrolled in secondary schools, an increase of 5.2 percent from those in schools in 2024. However, many have not attained the age of 18.
This is the first time in years that the government has rolled out an aggressive campaign for ID registration among school-going children. The exercise will be done during the ongoing second school term, May to August 2025. The move comes at a time when politicians are courting the youth ahead of the 2027 polls, with the young adults expected to register as voters after acquiring national IDs.
In a circular dated May 29 2025, and addressed to regional and county directors of education, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Prof Julius Bitok, says the mobile ID registration campaign will take place across the country.
It will be conducted by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, through the National Registration Bureau (NRB). Prof Bitok previously served in the department before swapping places with Dr Belio Kipsang two months ago.
“The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, through the National Registration Bureau (NRB), intends to undertake a mobile National ID registration drive targeting eligible students in secondary schools during the current (second) school term (May – August 2025),” said Prof Bitok.
“This initiative is designed to ensure that Kenyan students who have attained the age of 18 are registered for National Identity Cards while still in school, enabling them to access tertiary education placements, job opportunities and financial aid such as HELB loans without delay upon completion of secondary education,” he added.
In 2024, Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, presented a Bill before Parliament that seeks to enable students who have reached the age of 18 to register as voters while still in school. The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced by aims to amend Section 107 of the Registration of Persons Act to facilitate the registration of eligible students in secondary schools.
To ensure the smooth implementation of the exercise, the ministry has instructed all regional and county directors of education to immediately inform school heads to coordinate with county and deputy county registration officers.
“You are therefore, requested to urgently notify all secondary school principals within your jurisdiction to collaborate with County and Deputy County Registration Officers for the successful implementation of the exercise in their schools,” he said.
“Please, also inform the principals that for the purposes of this exercise, they or their deputies will serve as identification agents for their students in place of National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs),” Prof Bitok added
If successful, the school-based ID registration drive is expected to streamline the transition from secondary school to higher education and employment by reducing delays caused by a lack of identification documents.
This is not the first time the government has leveraged schools for national documentation processes, but it marks a notable move in decentralising ID services to reach youth more effectively.
In February 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, said Kenyans will in the future be automatically issued identity cards (ID) upon turning 18 years old based on data collected from birth.
He noted that the government had put all measures to ensure the process was seamless without contravening its security protocols.
“We are a ministry that is extremely responsible for the security of this country, and we cannot play with the security. We are also responsible for ensuring that Kenyans enjoy rights equally without undue discrimination,” he stated.
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