By Clifford Akumu
Data experts have poked holes in the new draft Huduma Namba Bill 2019, that has been presented to the public for comments, noting if passed as it is-has serious implications on privacy and access to services.
The experts further asked the state to clearly demonstrate the security of data in their possession before conducting a process they termed as “getting more data from Kenyans”
If passed into law, Kenyans will be required to have Huduma Number to register as a voter, access universal healthcare, passport, apply for a driving license, register a mobile phone number and pay taxes among other services.
The bill, proposed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’ i calls for the Huduma Namba, also known as the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS), to go into effect immediately for many different forms of ID.
Although the proponents of the draft bill believe, if passed into law, will create an efficient identity system that will present opportunities for fiscal savings, development of the digital economy and enhance service delivery-data experts thinks otherwise.
The latest move that is already triggering heated public debate, goes against an earlier court ruling that barred the state from forcing citizens to register.
The draft bill, says Alice Munyua, Policy Advisor at Mozilla opens leeway for a data breach because the system will centralize the data into one place.
“The bill opens a huge possibility of a data breach,” said Alice Munyua during a recent public debate on the bill held in Nairobi.
The registration should be through the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) that will be a primary database for both foundational and functional data, from which every other database with personal data of residents in Kenya will be built.
“NIIMs is the most punitive bill for Kenyans that will ever be implemented in Africa,” added Munyua.
“In Kenya, there have been several data breaches on in the Ministries like Ministry of Foreign Affairs there was an email breach. We need to demonstrate how we can secure what we have first before getting more data from Kenyans” Ephraim Kenyanito, Program Officer Article19.
Although they welcome the government’s call for public participation in the draft bill, they faulted the government on rushing with the Huduma number registration exercise without debating the data protection bill.
Majority of citizens too still do not understand why the bill is being introduced soon after the registration process has already taken place. She added, data collected is data at risk and wondered whether the digital ID is meant to empower or exploit Kenyans?
Mustafa Ahmed, Citizenship Rights Activists said the draft bill will further complicate stateless people’s struggle to belong stating the documents they are asked for “are ridiculous”
“I come from a minority group that’s the Nubian and we struggle to belong. While everyone gets their IDs at 18, for us we struggle as the documents we are asked for are ridiculous. You need an ID to register for the Huduma Number and the biggest challenge is in getting the ID,” said Ahmed.
Data collection of digital IDs need to have safeguards. The digital ID system, adds the experts, involves several technical choices for governments casting doubt on its implementation.
“We need to ask these questions; why is there such a huge push for this data? Who is benefitting? Who is waiting to use this data? Who are the vendors in the digital ID implementers do they have the ability to secure our data?” asked Munyua.
The panel also encouraged the state to strengthen the language in the bill to make clear when and why the NIIMS database is accessed. “I personally have strong reservations on this Bill as my biggest view is on digital identity theft. The biggest challenge is in the future tech abuse,” said George Njoroge, Chief Executive Officer East Africa Data Handlers.
