Your data is not in safe hands if you have registered with the National Integrated Identification Management System (NIIMS) better known as Huduma Namba, Aljazeera now claims.
According to an Aljazeera article published on Wednesday, writer Nanjala Nyabola claims that the initiative is ill-timed and wrongful, considering that Kenyans were not included in the deliberations.
Nyabola adds that the information Kenyans have given out is not in safe hands, especially from a government known to hide the truth when violations happen.
"As it stands, if you are Kenyan, your data is not secure or safe, especially not from a government that has routinely avoided creating a legal framework to at least give citizens some form of recourse when violations happen," says the writer in the article.
"This Huduma number is an ill-timed, ill-advised initiative that should be suspended until further public participation and consultation occur," she added.
However, the claims have been dismissed by State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita who has rubbished them as misleading and false.
"This is false information and a case of poor journalism by Al Jazeera, they should simply ask Interior Ministry to clarify any gaps in information that they may have had. There is no MasterCard linked to the Huduma Namba they are confusing with payment option for Huduma Kenya services,” Waita was quoted by Citizen Digital.
This was after the Aljazeera article claimed that the cards set to be issued to registered persons will have a MasterCard chip and pin for purposes best known by the government.