A new civil registration office has been opened by the government in Athi River, Machakos County.
Paul Mwangemi, secretary of civil registration services, presided over the official opening of the office at Athi River deputy county commissioner Patrick Mwangi’s office complex in Athi River town on Thursday.
Mwangemi represented Immigration PS Julius Bitok in the event.
Mwangemi said the Athi River subcounty civil registration office was the third to be opened by the government in Machakos County.
“As I officiate the official opening of this office on behalf of my boss, the PS, it’s worthwhile to note that this is an important day not only for the people of this subcounty, Athi River, but all Kenyans and the entire Africa,” Mwangemi said.
He was accompanied by various national and local leaders including Machakos devolution executive Consolata Mutisya, her Roads counterpart Nathaniel Nganga and Athi River MCA Jeremiah Kaloi. Mwangi hosted the PS, while Mutisya represented Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti in the event.
Mwangemi said it was a day whose celebration started six years ago.
“This year we said its climax be celebrated in the Athi River subcounty.
“This office comes as a great relief to the people of Athi River subcounty who had to travel to Machakos town and spend over Sh500 to apply for birth and death certificates,” Mwangemi said.
He said there were only two such offices in the entire Machakos county, and nine sub-counties located in Machakos and Yatta hence the importance of the third office in Athi River.
Mwangemi said the county’s leadership requested the Athi River office.
He encouraged residents to take advantage of the office and apply for birth and death certificates to help increase the registration coverage of the office to 100 per cent.
Mwangemi said the government will open two more offices within the county by the end of this year.
“A birth certificate is your child’s initial identity document. Therefore, I urge all parents to ensure their children are registered for birth certificates. This way, they will easily be enrolled in school and be able to access all other government services like health,” Mwangemi said.
“Soon, you will also be able to apply for these vital documents at your convenience as the government is in the process of fully digitizing the civil registration service systems,” he said.
To mark its commitment to ensuring ease of access for birth certificates, the first-ever beneficiaries of the Athi River Subcounty Civil Registration office were issued with birth certificates.
Mwangi said a good relationship between national and county governments will improve service delivery to the public not only in the Athi River subcounty, but across the county.
“These services were initially rendered in Machakos, it was difficult for citizens to move from all corners of the county to seek them. Now that the offices have been brought here, service delivery will be more efficient and faster,” Mwangi said.
Mutisya said it was the governor’s idea and request to the national government for the office to be opened in Athi River.
“This is her brainchild, we will be happy if we have more of such offices in other sub-counties like Ndithini in Masinga for the public to stop struggling to get the vital documents since the county is vast,” Mutisya said.
“I’m now happy since Mavoko residents will no longer go queuing in Nairobi, Kajiado and Makueni. They will be acquiring the documents from here. I want to assure our people, your governor has offered to serve you,” she said.
Kaloi said the new offices will greatly help the locals since the majority were vulnerable and hence unable to travel distances seeking vital documents.
“I thank the government for accepting to open these offices in the Athi River subcounty. The residents will benefit a great deal since the subcounty has a high population, while some households are vulnerable and hence were unable to travel to Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado and Nairobi to seek birth certificates for their children,” Kaloi said.
