Why national ID, birth certificate registration fees has increased, Government

Registration of birth and death will remain free while birth and death certificates will be issued at Sh200 from Sh50.

The cost of raw materials used for the production of Identification Cards (IDs) and birth or death certificates has gone up, the Civil Registration Service and National Registration Bureau has said.

This, the bureau states, has led to an increase in the fees charged for the documents.

Additionally, the bureau argued that the previous charges have been in existence for many years.

"The quality of materials used in the production of the new certificates is superior to what was being previously used. This took into account added security features intended to safeguard the integrity of the documents by making it difficult to forge or make fake documents," said a press release dated Tuesday, December 5.

The bureau added that the fee levied on late applications for birth and death certification will encourage prompt registration for the events. This will support the collection and tabulation of accurate and relevant data.

Further, the introduction of fee for services that were previously provided free of charge will provide the essential resources to procure relevant upgrades to modernise and enhance the quality of services offered.

In the proposal, registration of birth and death will remain free while birth and death certificates will be issued at Sh200 from Sh50.

Late registration of birth and death certificates will now attract a Sh500 fee up from Sh100. Re-registration of birth certificates will now be charged Sh1,000 up from Sh100.

At the same time, registration of a Kenyan citizen living abroad will from January 1st, 2024 not be free but charged at USD 150. The same amount will be charged to the registration of the death of a Kenyan occurring abroad.

Verification of a Certificate of Birth or Certificate of Death for private Kenyan agencies has gone up by Sh900 from the current Sh100. Authentication of certificates for the Government of Kenya agency will now be charged at Sh500 up from Sh100.

Moreso, amendment (addition or alteration of name of child) of a record at birth will now be Sh1000 up from Sh40. While amendment of a record of birth will be Sh1,000 up from Sh1000. The same will apply to the amendment of a record of death.

"The fees that are charged for issuance of ID cards are governed by Section 16(e) of the Registration of Persons Act which provided that "The Minister may make rules prescribing the fees, if any, which may be charged for a duplicate identity card or initial registration the renewal or alteration of an identity card," the release read in part.

At the same time, the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services stated that the current fees charged for the issuance of ID cards have not been reviewed for many years and are no longer reflective of the real cost of the services.

"There is therefore a need for the Government to review them to strike a balance between services rendered and the cost of production in line with the current market rates," the statement added.

The 3rd generation ID card will have upgraded features to comply with international standards and enhanced security requirements while civil servant cards issued to staff working in government ministries, departments, and agencies will go up by Sh900.

Also, the renewal of staff badges for government staff will be Sh1,000 up from Sh350.

All the proposals are effective January 1, 2024.