Kiambu Member of Parliament Machua Waithaka has proposed a new bill which seeks to introduce a standardized system for assigning unique addresses to every household, business, and institution in Kenya.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation, the MP argued that the primary purpose of the bill is to enhance the efficiency of emergency services, enabling quicker response times from ambulances, fire services, and police.
“With this system, we will save lives by making it easier for responders to locate those in need,” he said.
Previously, Kenyans have had to wait for long hours before getting emergency response assistance. The new bill seeks to cut this response time.
Dagoretti South Mp John Kiarie during a church service at Priesthood Fellowship Church in Nairobi, November 26, 2023
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John Kiarie
The lawmaker through his bill is also seeking to revive postal services, which he said will be crucial in a growing the e-commerce landscape.
“The proposed system is expected to facilitate tax collection, improve revenue streams for counties and support local development projects. Moreover, the implementation process is anticipated to create jobs in sectors such as tech, mapping, and logistics,” Parliament said in a statement after Waithaka presented his proposal.
The bill is further expected to create more jobs in sectors such as tech, mapping, and logistics during its implementation process.
The proposed system is expected to facilitate tax collection, improve revenue streams for counties, and support local development projects.
Committee member John Kiarie speaking during the proceedings suggested that leveraging existing technology, such as Google’s open-source mapping system, could reduce the estimated Ksh 2 billion budget.
Dagoretti MP John Kiarie who chaired the session questioned the feasibility of the bill asking the likelihood of the new bill not failing considering previous attempts have flopped.
MP Erastus Kivasu who was also present in the sitting raised concerns on the barriers that hindered previous addressing systems, pointing to implementation failures as the main cause.
“What deters the National Addressing system from full implementation? It was started and it failed before,” he questioned.
Defending the bill, Waithaka remained optimistic that the piece of legislation is structured to avoid previous pitfalls.
If the bill succeeds, it could pave way for economic growth and improved service delivery, marking a critical step in Kenya’s digital transformation.
An ambulance parked outside a hospital in Kenya.
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Diani Beach Hospital
