Kenya’s Digital ID (Maisha Number) Tied to Gates Foundation

Context Kenya’s Digital ID Boosted by Gates Foundation but Govt Struggles to Convince Citizens: Kenya’s digital ID project, known as Maisha Namba, will receive advice from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The global charity group, started by the Microsoft founder, will help connect the Kenyan government to key technical experts and partners, Mark Suzman, CEO at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, told Business Daily Africa. “We have a number of specific investment support on digital identity. We actually provide it to broader platforms,” Suzman said on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Marrakech, Morocco. Maisha Namba is a unique personal identification number assigned to every Kenyan citizen. The number is assigned to the Maisha Card as a digital identity credential. The country has been preparing for the US$6.8 million launch of the biometric digital ID system for the past several months. At the beginning of October, however, Kenyan authorities postponed its launch due to “unfavorable circumstances.” more info @