Manual fingerprint collection to be phased out as gov't transitions to new biometric system

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the traditional policing systems, which relied on manual, evidence-based processes, will be phased out as the government transitions to the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS).

Speaking at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters along Kiambu Road, Nairobi, on Thursday, CS Murkomen said MBIS will increase service capacity and ease processes that have previously rendered service delivery an arduous task.

He added that the system will enhance criminal booking and record-keeping as digital tracking will provide a one-stop-shop solution for tracing criminals.

“With the previous system, we could search about 4,500 fingerprints a day. That capacity has now increased to 20,000 searches daily. Police Clearance Certificates, which previously took up to 14 days to be issued, will now be processed in less than 24 hours at the click of a button,” he said.

“Criminals will no longer be able to hide behind incomplete records or evade detection, as the new system will make it easier to identify and track offenders. This transition will make every Kenyan happy. However, this system will make criminals unhappy because they will no longer be able to evade detection.”

This comes as Kenya has for decades relied on manual fingerprint collection using ink and paper, crippling record-keeping and tracking.

DCI Director Mohamed Amin said the transition will integrate fingerprint and facial recognition technology to process biometric data faster and more accurately and significantly improve complex criminal investigations.

“The system will also enable real-time tracking of the certificate processing status,” he said.

On his part, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga said that the system will streamline criminal justice operations for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

He said that manual systems have slowed prosecution in determining whether an accused person is a first-time offender or a repeat offender.

“With this shift, however, we will be able to provide the court with that information instantly, at our fingertips, enabling judges to make better-informed sentencing decisions,” DPP Ingonga said.

CS Murkomen said that the nation’s security operations will continue to be bolstered by the support of the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, as the MBIS system awaits its rollout.

“We are currently procuring an integrated CCTV Command System that will cover five cities and one town: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, and Nyeri Town,” he said.

“The system will enable us to collect real-time data to enhance security operations. It will be followed by the rollout of a Digital Occurrence Book (Digital OB), which will be used to map crime patterns and the distribution of different types of crime across the country.”