Seeing the Unseen: Inclusion and Exclusion in Kenya’s Digital ID System
This conversation will discuss the recent digital transformation of government identification in Kenya through its Huduma Namba digital ID system. While digital ID systems promise to include those who previously remained ‘unseen’ by the state, along with a range of other purported benefits, what has been the impact on individuals and groups who have long been marginalized and discriminated against in Kenya? Has this system lived up to its grand promise of inclusion so far? How does Huduma Namba relate to broader efforts to digitalize government in Kenya? Should we resist or embrace Huduma Namba and digital government in Kenya, or is there a middle ground?
About the Series
Transformer States: A Conversation Series on Digital Government and Human Rights is a newly-launched series of virtual conversations organized by the Digital Welfare State and Human Rights Project, based at the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. Through in-depth interviews with practitioners and academics working on digital government, this series aims to further explore digital transformation and its impact on the lives and rights of individuals. Read more about the series here.