DETERMINANTS OF EFFECTIVE CIVIC REGISTRATION IN KENYA
Fardosa Mohamed Jimale - Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Prof. David Minja - Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Registration of people is nationally acknowledged procedure for promoting security, economic and political advancements advancing security, monetary and political. The delay in registration of persons denies Kenyans services which they are supposed to receive from the government offices. The study aims at establishing the determinants of effective civic registration in the National Registration Bureau. The study was guided by the following objectives; to determine the extent to which ID processing affect issuance of national identity cards, to examine the extent to which resources affect production and issuance of National ID cards in Kenya, to establish the extent to which technical capabilities affect production and issuance of National ID cards process and establish how approaches to the production and issuance of National ID cards affect the effectiveness of the process. The study employed descriptive survey design. The study targeted the 1150 National Registration Bureau staff in working in the production and issuance section and ID applicants. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 120 staffs an equivalent to 10.4% of the total population. Also the purposive sampling technique was used to select 10 ID applicants. The study use primary data which was obtained from questionnaires to the managers and interview schedules to the ID applicants. The collected data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively with aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21). The analyzed data was presented using frequencies tables, pie charts and bar graphs. The results revealed that delays of registration and issuance of National ID card is due to insufficient resources. These involved lack of infrastructure, human resource and general capacity development of the department. Also, delay and insufficient of budget allocated to the civic registration could result in delay of issuance of National ID card. Centralized registration system is security friendly and therefore should only be improved. The study concluded that there are insufficient resources. Limited budgetary allocations hindered National Registration Bureau’s ability to meet public expectations at district and divisional levels. The shortage in the supply and availability of necessary materials for Identity card production resulted in delays in the registration process. The study recommended that the Ministry of Finance increases the budgetary allocation to the National Registration Bureau at the national. Priority should be given to development of physical infrastructure at the district level, personnel recruitment and installation of production machines.
