What is the difference between Maisha Namba and the Maisha Card?

Maisha Namba is the 14-digit number assigned for life from birth, while the Maisha Card is the physical chip-enabled card that carries it.

Can the Maisha Card be used to travel?

Yes, its ICAO-compliant machine-readable zone allows it to be used as a travel document within the East African Community.

🇰🇪 Kenya · National ID card

Maisha Namba / Maisha Card

Maisha Namba unique personal identifier and Maisha Card third-generation national ID

Maisha Namba is a 14-digit lifelong unique personal identifier issued to Kenyans from birth, and the Maisha Card is the accompanying chip-enabled third-generation national ID that replaces the older second-generation card. Launched in late 2023 as the successor to the abandoned Huduma Namba, it has an ICAO-compliant chip for use as a regional travel document.

What it does

Identity verification / KYCBiometric authenticationTravel / border controlMobile credential (in person)

Country:🇰🇪 Kenya

Type:National ID card

Status:Pilot

Launched:2023

Issuer:State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services / National Registration Bureau

Who can get it:Kenyan citizens (Maisha Namba assigned at birth); residents and foreigners captured in the database

Format

National ID card

Identity attributes

14-digit unique personal identifierFacial imageBiographic dataEncrypted fingerprints and photograph

Authentication methods

Smart card chipBiometricMRZ read

Common use cases

National identificationAccess to government and private servicesTravel within the East African Community

Standards

ICAO-compliant MRZMicroprocessor smartcard with encrypted biometric storage

Coverage

More than 1.7 million new Maisha Cards printed (reported 2026)

Interoperability

Linked into the Maisha Integrated Database; ICAO MRZ enables cross-border use within the EAC

Privacy and trust

Civil society groups have raised concerns about consolidating sensitive biometric and population data in a single register and the data-protection safeguards governing its use.

Identity verification providers

Independent identity verification vendors that support documents like this for KYC and onboarding. Exact document coverage varies by provider and region, so confirm support before relying on it.

Onfido Jumio Veriff Sumsub Persona AU10TIX IDnow Regula

Official source

https://usajili.go.ke/

Maisha Namba / Maisha Card: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Maisha Namba and the Maisha Card?: Maisha Namba is the 14-digit number assigned for life from birth, while the Maisha Card is the physical chip-enabled card that carries it.
Can the Maisha Card be used to travel?: Yes, its ICAO-compliant machine-readable zone allows it to be used as a travel document within the East African Community.

Educational reference, not official guidance. Confirm current details with the issuing authority. all Kenya schemes · identity verification vendors