Students at Nimco Hodhan Training College in Garissa County have received national identity cards in an exercise aimed at expanding access to official identification, in line with President William Ruto’s Presidential Proclamation on Registration and Issuance of IDs to Border Counties.
The exercise, held at the college on Thursday, brought together students and a National Registration Bureau team that registered eligible learners and issued them with national identity cards.
The issuance is intended to make it easier for students to identify themselves when accessing government and private services, including banking, education, healthcare and other services that require proof of Kenyan citizenship.
The drive follows the Presidential Proclamation signed by President Ruto on 5 February 2025 at Orahey Grounds in Wajir Town. The decree ended extra vetting and ethnic profiling that had for years delayed the issuance of birth certificates and national identity cards to residents of Northern Kenya, including Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and Isiolo.
Signing the proclamation, the President said the previous practice was unjust and disenfranchising.
“If it’s about vetting, let all children of Kenya be vetted equally without any discrimination,” President Ruto said. “We want the people of Northern Kenya to feel equal to the rest of the country.”
For years, residents of North Eastern have endured extra-vetting and ethnic profiling by the State before they acquire birth certificates and national identity cards.
“We want the people of Northern Kenya to feel equal to the rest of the country,” the President said.
Garissa Jua Kali Association Chairperson and Garissa leader of the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPOK), Osman Barkhadle, said the college exercise was an important step in implementing the proclamation and ensuring that students were properly registered.
“The exercise is important because it ensures that every student is properly registered and has a national identification card that can be used whenever required,” Barkhadle said.
Senior Principal Chief for Garissa County, Mr Yussuf Abdi, said the issuance of national identity cards would promote proper registration and accountability among students.
“Having national identification cards helps students to easily prove their identity and citizenship whenever they access services. We encourage learners to make good use of the cards and institutions to maintain accurate and up-to-date records,” Abdi said.
Nimco Hodhan, Director of Nimco Hodhan Training College, said the exercise would strengthen the institution’s student records while providing learners with a legally recognised form of identification.
“We are grateful to the registration team for bringing this service closer to our students. The national ID cards will help us improve our records and make it easier to identify our students as Kenyan citizens.
“We will continue working with relevant partners to improve services and create a better learning environment,” Hodhan said.
The college said the exercise forms part of broader efforts to improve student registration and access to national identification documents, in keeping with the Presidential Proclamation and the government’s push to ensure eligible Kenyans obtain identity cards.
Students welcomed the exercise, saying the national ID cards would make it easier for them to prove their identity and access services.
Farhiya Issa, a student at the college, said having a national identification card would provide students with a convenient and official way of identifying themselves.
Abdihamid Hassan Ibrahim, thanked the registration team for bringing the service to the college.
“We appreciate the team for coming to the college and making the process easier for us. Having our national ID cards will be very useful in our day-to-day activities,” he said.
Nimco Hodhan Training College is a TVETA-registered private training centre located in Galbet Ward, Garissa County. The institution offers training in computer packages and cooking classes.
Its computer programme covers introductory computer skills, typing, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher, as well as data security, internet use and networking.
The institution also offers cooking classes targeting people seeking practical skills in meal preparation at home. The programme is conducted by experienced chefs who provide recipes and practical instruction covering a range of everyday dishes.
The college has encouraged interested learners to enrol in its various training programmes as it seeks to expand access to practical and marketable skills in the county.
