Steve Williams 
Nairobi skyline
This claim has emerged on various websites and social media platforms. It appeared online on August 31st, 2024 via an X account called African Hub. The X account is notorious for posting clickbait content that poses as harmless questions while spreading misinformation.
The account posted the following post below.
Bill Gates digital IDs in Kenya’s babies and citizens
Your comments on this pic.twitter.com/CgyfJ90F8T
— African Hub (@AfricanHub_) August 31, 2024
The claim was amplified by Auma Obama, the half sister of former US President Barack Obama, who quoted the claim saying.
“Kenya beware! Let him start in his own backyard before coming to us. Why not in his own country if it is such a great idea?!”
Kenya beware! Let him start in his own backyard before coming to us. Why not in his own country if it is such a great idea?! https://t.co/U3XeplxQLO
— Auma Obama (@AumaObama) September 1, 2024
The claim has also appeared in varying degrees across the internet like here, here, here and here.
The claim appears to suggest that Bill Gates is up to no good and is pushing for a nefarious scheme in Kenya.
The Facts
Since 2019, Kenya has been trying to transition to third generation identity cards, which are secure and biometric in nature. The government rolled out Huduma Namba in 2019 and registered people but failed to proceed with the project, and it was abandoned midway.
In November 2023, the Kenyan government started a new ID system for third generation ID cards dubbed “Maisha Namba” on a pilot basis. The project was temporarily halted due to a court case, but the court gave the government the green light to proceed with the roll-out.
The Maisha Card will be the new version of the current second generation ID, while the digital ID will be an option to have the ID on the phone instead of carrying the physical ID wherever you go. This system has been tested as in use in places like China and some European countries. The digital ID would be optional, but the enhanced Maisha Card would replace the current ID.
Where does Bill Gates come in?
Bill Gates is an American billionaire and the founder of Microsoft. He is also a philanthropist who has donated billions of dollars into various causes. In September 2022, The Gates Foundation committed $200M to enhance digital ID uptake as part of the universal goal of legal identity by 2030 in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In October 2023, the Gates Foundation announced that it would advise Kenya on how to roll out the Maisha Card and thereby assuming an advisory role. The Gates Foundation is involved in similar projects across the world in countries like India.
In November 2023, Bill Gates visited Kenya where he had the meeting with the President of Kenya, and he urged the country to consider adopting a new digital identification system for newborns in the country. This proposal was different from the Maisha Card, and it seems like it formed the bane of the earlier claims that Bill Gates was pushing for a digital ID.
Verdict
Kenya has been aiming to move to a different generation of ID cards since 2019. Gates Foundation is involved in advising the government of Kenya on how to roll out a new generation of IDs which includes an optional digital ID which is not mandatory. Bill Gates has been subject to various conspiracy theories in both his home country and abroad. Therefore, it is important to verify any information about him that you may come across.
