The daily queues outside Sheria House are a sign that it is time to speed-up digitization of the birth registration process. To solve the problem, I believe the Kenya ICT Board should lobby for immediate and longterm action within government:

Immediate steps

1. Application forms: All aplication forms must be availed on http://www.births.go.ke/ and the website made public asap.

2. Tracking: Parents should be able to track applications via SMS and via http://www.births.go.ke/ and via SMS. Models of this exist in government and it's simply a matter of replicating the approach.

- National ID card application status - http://www.identity.go.ke/search.html

- Passport application status - http://www.immigration.go.ke/index.php?id=25

3. No identity cards (or even primary school admissions) should be issued without the birth certificate. This will encourage registration of births.

Longterm actions

* Every maternity hospital must submit birth information on a daily basis (electronically) and parents issued with a serial number for use in tracking and collecting the birth certificates. Home births via midwives must also be submitted via a registered midwife who must be attached to a local government hospital.

Regards,

Wainaina