Government Scraps Birth Certificate Fees for ID and Passport Applications

Homa Bay, Kenya — 2025-09-15 18:45 EAT. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced the immediate removal of authentication fees for birth certificates when applying for national ID cards and passports, eliminating a cost barrier long criticised by civil rights groups and citizens.

The Latest

• Fee waiver: All charges for authenticating birth certificates for ID or passport applications scrapped immediately.

• Future plans: Government intends to abolish fees for birth and death certificates entirely, making vital records free for all Kenyans.

Additional Reforms

• Reduced ID replacement fees: Current charge of KSh1,050 under review, with plans for lower costs.

• Digital registration: New online platform to allow citizens to apply for and track IDs and passports in real time.

• Expanded access: More civil registration offices to be opened nationwide to ease congestion and speed up services.

Voices and Stakeholders

• Kipchumba Murkomen, Interior CS: “Every Kenyan counts, and every Kenyan must be counted. No one should be denied identification because of cost or location.”

• Civil rights groups: Welcomed the reforms, saying they will enhance inclusion and electoral participationahead of the August 2027 general elections.

Implications

• Accessibility: Fee removal eliminates barriers for low-income and marginalised groups.

• Digital transformation: Online application system aims to reduce bureaucracy and curb corruption in document processing.

• Electoral readiness: Citizens urged to collect IDs early to enable voter registration and participation in 2027 polls.

What to Watch

• Implementation timeline for full abolition of birth and death certificate fees.

• Rollout of the digital application platform and performance of new registration offices.

• Political debates over the removal of vetting procedures in parts of North-Eastern Kenya.