Nearly half of the 6.1 million Tanzanians registered for eID cards
have received them since the project began in February 2013, according to government
officials.
Acting Director General of the National Identification Authority
(NIDA), Joseph Makani, revealed that 2.5 million have received ID but admitted the
identification process still has many obstacles.
“We are faced with a challenge proving identities as to who is who
when registering; the challenge prompts us to undergo rigorous verification
process on an applicant before an ID is issued,” said Makani.
Minister for Home Affairs, Mathias Chikawe, said there is also a
security argument to be made as well for ensuring all Tanzanian have ID cards,
adding he believes that recruitment for terrorist groups can be prevented through
identity programmes based on technological solutions.
In Kenya, the number of people without ID cards in places like Lamu
County where Al Shabaab is very active in recruitment, is high.
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| A lack of an ID card prevents employment and is blamed for causing angry youth to join Al Shabaab |
The Kenyan government has suspended the issuance of ID cards in Lamu County, which has angered many in the area.
The lack of an ID card prevents people from being able to secure
employment and prevents them from moving even domestically within Kenya, which
creates disenfranchisement amongst Kenyan youth and makes them susceptible to
recruitment by groups like Al Shabaab.