A amartcard driver’s license program in Kenya has been stalled by government disputes over the program’s contract with a provider
Disagreements between government agencies in Kenya have forced the country’s residents to wait longer for their updated smartcard driver’s licenses.
The government has been working to provide the smartcard IDs to the citizens for years, as the government’s cabinet decided in July 2007 to introduce smartcard drivers licenses and signed an agreement last year with a Belgian company to provide the plastic cards. The program, which is estimated to cost more than $48 million, has caused debate between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport in Kenya’s government regarding the contract with the European company.
The smartcard driver’s license program is aimed at providing a safer solution to traffic regulation in the country. With the new system, smartcard technology stores drivers’ traffic violation histories, facilitating the identification of repeat offenders for law enforcement agents. The new plastic ID cards were also meant to electronically store basic ID information such as photographs, signature and license class within a database at the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Government officials in Kenya are working to integrate smartcard technology that other countries have successfully implemented for driver’s license programs. Last month, the Government of India introduced a smartcard license program to drivers throughout the entire country.
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