The government will begin issuing internationally recognized Seafarer Identification Documents (SID) to Kenyan maritime workers within three months, Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has announced.
Speaking before the National Assembly Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee, PS Kipsang said a sample SID card has been sent to the International Labour Organization (ILO) for approval, with feedback already incorporated into an updated version. The card will embed actual data in both a chip and QR code.
He revealed that biometric live capture units have been procured and customized to align with the Kenya Maritime Authority’s processes, enabling real-time enrolment and transmission to the National Registration Bureau.
Unlike the national ID, the SID will meet international standards and serve as a travel document, allowing Kenyan seafarers to join ships, take shore leave, and transit through foreign ports without a visa.
Pending steps include completion of the Public Key Infrastructure audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and installation of servers to host the seafarers’ database.
Kipsang assured MPs that the rollout will be on schedule, saying, “Within the next three months, it will be ready.”