Identification

cross-posted from: https://baraza.africa/post/510085

The Ethiopian Immigration Service (EIS) has placed the country’s largest passport order in years – a whopping 1.5 million new documents from manufacturers in Paris. Around 190,000 passports have already arrived in Ethiopia over the past few weeks.

As well as equipping and training security agencies in surveillance, the Fund is being used to bankroll the development of mass-scale biometric identity systems across the African continent and is awarding lucrative contracts to well-connected European security companies in the process.

cross-posted from: https://baraza.africa/post/127306

Security agencies in Narok have arrested three women in Emurua Dikirr constituency and seized 16 identity cards that they believed were intended to be used to commit election malpractices.

cross-posted from: https://baraza.africa/post/102739

Lilian Mapunda, whose Nationa ID is set to expire on August 18, 2024, said, "We are scared because there are our colleagues here on the streets since they registered, this is the second year they have not received their IDs, all they have are numbers."

cross-posted from: https://baraza.africa/post/70619

The denial of new forms of identification for Tigrayans facilitated subsequent targeting. "It was a very good technique for them to easily recognize who is Tigray and who is Amhara," said Yemane, from Rawyan. "They kept asking people for ID cards . and could easily arrest and hold the Tigrayans who didn't have an ID."

• The move follows a meeting on Thursday between City Hall and boda boda associations that agreed on a raft of new regulations aimed at streamlining a sector that has been dogged by crime, indiscipline and accidents.
• Announcing the new development, Ms Kananu said that they have agreed that boda boda operators will have their motorcycles fitted with the digital numbers with each of the 17 sub-Counties in Nairobi having a different colour code for easy identification.
• Ms Kananu said the special plates, when scanned, will be able to reveal the name, ID number and phone number of each rider.

It would seem the biometric focus now is on the face, giving devices the ability to unlock an iPhone even if the owner is wearing a mask.