Kenyan Delegation visits NADRA – Chairman Briefs on E-Gov and Digital Identity Initiatives

Islamabad: A high-powered delegation of the Kenyan Government visited NADRA Head Quarters and held a series of meetings with Chairman NADRA, Mohammad Tariq Malik. The delegation’s weeklong visit to Pakistan is part of an evaluation and due diligence process being undertaken to assess NADRA’s proposal for Kenya’s National Digital Identity project.

The delegation headed by Amb. (Prof) Julius K. Bitok, MBS, Principal Secretary, State Department for Citizen Services of Kenya, comprises of secretaries, directors as well as officials from Technical and Operations of ID Department of Kenya.

Chairman NADRA, Tariq Malik briefed the Kenyan delegation on Digital ID as an enabler for inclusion & empowerment, e-government initiatives, the remarkable achievement of universal ID Registration coverage throughout Pakistan, and digital utilization of National ID data to bring about governance reforms in state institutions.

During the briefing, Chairman NADRA highlighted the importance of the “Look Africa Policy” of the Government of Pakistan. He emphasized that NADRA is ready to continue its close working relationship with the government of Kenya. The partnership would enhance cooperation and collaboration between the two countries, particularly in the field of digital ID and registration.

Mr. Malik assured the high-powered delegation that NADRA is well-equipped to extend G2G support in ID related projects. He stressed the need for the delegation to foster an ID ecosystem that would establish a singular and credible “Single Version of Truth.” Moreover, he expressed that a robust ID system offers endless opportunities for the implementation of digital public goods.

Principal Secretary of State Department for Citizen Services of Kenya, Amb. (Prof) Julius K. Bitok stated that they will use the visit to understand the Identity management system and Digital ID ecosystem being anchored by NADRA. “Kenya has different disparate, in silo environment databases and there is a need to link all the databases with a central repository making it one single version of truth. We are looking forward to working closely with NADRA on the future project related to National Digital Identity.”

It is pertinent to mention that under South-South cooperation, NADRA is assisting the governments of Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya and Somalia with regard to the development of identity management and civil registration system.

Kenyan delegation also visited NADRA’s facilities at NADRA Headquarters. The delegation was apprised that NADRA’s ID Card printing, networks & communications, infrastructure and information security departments are ISO 27001 certified internationally; while its Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) fulfil the requirements of the most rigorous information security standards worldwide.