From 2nd April to 25th May 2019, most Kenyans’ worries were how to acquire a Huduma Namba. Even though the government said that Huduma Namba registration was not compulsory, most people went ahead to acquire one as they figured they’d need it sooner or later.
The ones who acquired a Huduma Namba might have just made the right decision as the government is planning on making it compulsory for one to acquire a Huduma Namba. The registration was not initially compulsory so many services could still be accessed without necessarily having a Huduma Namba.
Now that the registration is on the verge of being made compulsory, what services will you be denied if you do not acquire one? Whether you have acquired a Huduma Namba or not, the chances of getting a good number of government services now depends on Huduma Namba registration.
[Read: Government to re-open Huduma Namba registration exercise]
Luckily, the government is planning to reopen Huduma Namba registration giving those who had not registered time to register as well.
According to the Bill proposed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, here are the services you will access without a Huduma Namba if the bill is passed to law;
- be issued with a passport
- apply for a driving licence
- register a mobile phone number
- register as a voter
- pay taxes
- transact in the financial markets
- open a bank account
- register a company or a public benefit organisation
- transfer or make any dealings in land
- register for electricity connection
- access universal health care services
- benefit from the government housing scheme
- register a marriage
- enroll into a public educational facility
- access social protection services
- register or transfer a motor vehicle or
- any other specified public service
Basically, it would be difficult to go about life in the country without having a Huduma Namba. If you cannot get the simplest of services like registering a phone number then life will be very difficult if you do not have a Huduma Namba.
If the Bill suggested by Matiang’i is passed to law then Kenyans who will not have acquired a Huduma Namba will find it hard to cope.
Perhaps the Huduma Namba is a replacement of the national identification card. All the services that need a Huduma Namba to access are the same ones that were inaccessible without a national identification card.
[See also: Kenya’s oldest woman rejects Huduma Namba]
