State effects increase in charges for birth, death certificates

They were reviewed in November 2023 but were undergoing public participation.

In Summary

• Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said this follows completion of public participation process which was conducted from November 14 to December 5, 2023.

• The new fees and levies were reviewed on November 14, 2023 vide a gazette notice No. 241 issued by Kindiki.

The Interior Ministry has effected the new fees and levies for various services offered by the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services. https://rb.gy/4ff5ec

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki speaking in Kirinyaga on February 16, 2024.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki speaking in Kirinyaga on February 16, 2024.
Image: MINA

The Interior Ministry has effected the new fees and levies for various services offered by the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services.

In a memo dated February 29, 2024, Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said this follows the completion of the public participation process which was conducted from November 14 to December 5, 2023.

“You may recall that the effective date for implementation of these charges was January 1, 2024. However, the said charges were to be subjected to public participation before taking effect,” Kindiki said.

The memo was copied to all section heads, regional coordinators, national registry, county coordinators and subcounty registrars.

“The purpose of this circular is therefore to inform you that with effect from March 1, 2024, the revised fees, charges and levies take effect and all our services will be charged accordingly,” the CS said.

The new fees and levies were reviewed on November 14, 2023, vide a gazette notice No. 241 issued by Kindiki.

"It is notified for the general information of the public that the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services intends to revise charges and fees on its various services effective the 1st of January, 2024," Kindiki said in the notice. 

In the review, fees for the issuance of birth certificates were increased from Sh50 to 200, the same as the issuance of death certificates.

Late registration of birth certificate was increased from Sh150 to Sh500, the same as late registration of death.

The Ministry also increased fees for re-registration of birth from Sh90 to Sh1,000 and fees for registration of births in foreign missions were increased from $50 (Sh7,225) to $150 (Sh21,675).

The same amount applied to the registration of death at Kenyan foreign missions.

Charges for amendments to both birth and death certificates were increased from Sh130 to Sh1,000 while fees for a certificate for a person presumed dead was increased from Sh150 to Sh1,500.

Meanwhile, the ministry introduced new charges for the verification of certificates for government agencies and pegged it at Sh500 while it set the fees for the acquisition of vital statistical reports for private agencies at Sh2,000.

The State, however, pegged the fees for access to vital statistical reports for the government at Sh1,000.

A new charge of $100 (Sh14,450) was also introduced for verification of the certificate of private foreign agencies while the charges for the same service for private Kenyan agencies were set at $1,000 (Sh144,500).

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