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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">BJCR</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title xml:lang="en">British Journal of Contemporary Research</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title xml:lang="en">BJCR</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn>2979-8582</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Bexford Publishing Ltd</publisher-name>
        <publisher-loc><uri>https://bexfordpublishing.co.uk</uri></publisher-loc>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">BEX_SEP_26_081</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.67693/BJCR-CYRFJIMQ</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group xml:lang="en" subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Review Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title xml:lang="en">Building Tomorrow&#039;s Identity Infrastructure: A Socio-Technical Analysis of Kenya&#039;s Maisha Digital ID Ecosystem</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group content-type="author">
      <contrib corresp="yes">
        <name-alternatives>
          <name name-style="western" specific-use="primary">
            <given-names>Emmanuel Mokoro</given-names>
          </name>
        </name-alternatives>
        <email>emmanmokoro@gmail.com</email>
        <bio xml:lang="en"><p>Borangi Consultants, Kenya</p></bio>
      </contrib>
      <contrib>
        <name-alternatives>
          <name name-style="western" specific-use="primary">
            <given-names>Peter Kimaile</given-names>
          </name>
        </name-alternatives>
        <email>mkimaile@gmail.com</email>
        <bio xml:lang="en"><p>ORCID: 0009-0002-0817-8148 | Directorate of eGovernment</p></bio>
      </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="epub">
        <day>10</day>
        <month>10</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>1</volume>
      <issue>5</issue>
      
      
      <pub-history>
        <event event-type="received">
          <event-desc>Received: <date date-type="received">
            <day>11</day>
            <month>09</month>
            <year>2026</year>
          </date></event-desc>
        </event>
        
        <event event-type="accepted">
          <event-desc>Accepted: <date date-type="accepted">
            <day>16</day>
            <month>09</month>
            <year>2026</year>
          </date></event-desc>
        </event>
      </pub-history>
      <permissions>
        <copyright-statement>Copyright (c) 2026 Emmanuel Mokoro</copyright-statement>
        <copyright-year>2026</copyright-year>
        <license xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0">
          <license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <abstract><p>Kenya’s implementation of the Maisha Namba and Digital ID system represents a pivotal leap toward a unified, digital-first public administration. Designed to serve as a unique, lifelong personal identifier assigned at birth, the Maisha Namba streamlines access to vital public and private services, including healthcare, education, social protection, and financial institutions. By transitioning from analog records to an integrated digital ecosystem, the initiative aims to enhance administrative efficiency, reduce identity fraud, and foster socioeconomic inclusion across the country. However, the rollout faces critical operational, legal, and socio-political hurdles. Primary concerns center on data privacy, robust cybersecurity infrastructure, and the potential for structural exclusion among marginalized populations lacking prerequisite documentation or digital literacy. Furthermore, navigating legal challenges surrounding legislative frameworks and public participation remains essential to securing long-term legitimacy. This paper evaluates the architecture, policy imperatives, and strategic implementation of the Maisha Digital ID. It argues that while the system offers transformative potential for public service delivery and digital economy growth, its ultimate success depends on establishing clear technical and legal safeguards, maintaining transparent governance, and implementing inclusive access mechanisms that ensure no citizen is left behind.

Keywords: digital identity, public infrastructure, interoperability, biometric governance, inclusion.</p></abstract>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
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