Digital identification and biometrics in East Africa: opportunities and concerns

This policy brief examines the implementation of biometric digital identification (ID) systems in Ethiopia and Uganda, highlighting the tension between the goals of increased inclusion and the risks of exclusion, surveillance, and data misuse. While digital IDs aim to facilitate access to government services and economic rights, the document warns that without robust legal frameworks for data protection and privacy, these systems can marginalise vulnerable populations and enable ethnic profiling.

• Approximately 50% of Africa's population lacks a legal identity, which hinders access to essential services such as healthcare, social grants, banking, and passports. This gap is gendered, with adult women having significantly lower ID coverage than men.
• Digital ID systems are being adopted in Africa to meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 (legal identity for all by 2030) and the AU's Agenda 2063. These systems are seen as necessary for the African Continental Free Trade Area and are driven by the expansion of digital infrastructure and mobile technology.
• Ethiopia's 'Fayda' biometric ID programme aims to enrol all eligible adults by 2025, with a 2023 target of 10 million registrations. While not mandatory, there are risks that government or private entities may condition service provision on possessing a digital ID, potentially marginalising those who continue to use the unreliable paper-based 'kebele' residence cards.
• The Fayda system in Ethiopia faces criticism regarding potential ethnic profiling and surveillance, as ethnicity may be deduced from names. These concerns are exacerbated by the fact that Ethiopia lacks data protection laws and has not ratified the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention).
• Uganda's 'Ndaga Muntu' system, introduced in 2015 as mandatory, has led to mass exclusion, particularly for women and older persons. Barriers include the inability to provide citizenship documentation (like birth or marriage certificates) and errors made by registration officials.
• The Ndaga Muntu system is criticised for violating data minimisation principles by collecting extensive personal data, including clan, tribe, and ethnicity. While Uganda has a legal framework for data privacy (the 2019 Data Protection and Privacy Act), it has not ratified the Malabo Convention, and reports suggest a 2024 update may include DNA biometrics.
• Biometric collection can be inherently exclusionary for manual labourers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities who may be unable to provide fingerprints. The document recommends maintaining analogue alternatives or alternative biometric options to prevent this exclusion.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2023). Digital identification and biometrics in East Africa: opportunities and concerns. https://saiia.org.za/research/digital-identification-and-biometrics-in-east-africa-opportunities-and-concerns/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Digital identification and biometrics in East Africa: opportunities and concerns. 2023. https://saiia.org.za/research/digital-identification-and-biometrics-in-east-africa-opportunities-and-concerns/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Digital identification and biometrics in East Africa: opportunities and concerns |date=9 November 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/digital-identification-and-biometrics-in-east-africa-opportunities-and-concerns/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2023digital, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Digital identification and biometrics in East Africa: opportunities and concerns}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/digital-identification-and-biometrics-in-east-africa-opportunities-and-concerns/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }