Members of the Delegated Legislation Committee have expressed concern over the high costs associated with acquiring national identity cards and birth certificates in Kenya.
The lawmakers, led by Committee Chair Samuel Chepkong’a (Ainabkoi), urged Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok to reconsider the proposed fee increases for these important documents.
While reviewing proposed regulations from the State Department, the MPs emphasized the need for more accessible pricing to encourage Kenyans to apply for national identity cards.
“There is no proper justification for increasing the fees for applying for new identity cards or replacing the document. The department should lower the fees to attract more Kenyans to apply,” said Chepkong’a.
The regulations under review included the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Rules, 2024 and the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2024.
What are the proposed new charges for IDs and birth certificates?
Among the proposed changes is a new charge of Sh300 for applying for a new ID card, a process that was previously free of charge. Those who lose their ID cards or wish to update their details would now pay Ksh 1,000, up from the current fee of Ksh 100.
But committee Vice Chairperson Robert Gichimu (Gichugu) led the lawmakers in putting the PS on the spot to justify the sharp hike in fees, noting that the charges will discourage many Kenyans from applying for the documents.
“Why should someone correcting an error in their document be forced to pay more than three times what a new applicant is paying? The mistake could have been made by staff, and citizens should not be penalized for it,” said Gichimu.
Other MPs, including Pauline Lenguris (Samburu), Kibet Komingoi (Bureti), and John Paul Mwirigi (Igembe South), supported the call for reduced fees, citing the tough economic times facing many Kenyans.
“This issue of increasing fees for government documents and services is becoming a major concern. We should be careful not to hurt the ordinary citizen,” said Lenguris.
“Why are the fees still high, especially when the government has declared that it is going digital?” questioned Komingoi.
PS Bitok while responding to the concerns of the lawmakers defended the move, stating that it was necessary due to inflation.
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