- "The matter of ID, President William Ruto has said they must pay, Ruto said they must pay to have their ID," Wanga told Raila on the side.
- Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki had through a gazette notice announced it will cost Sh1,000 to acquire a new Identification card.
Image: GLADYS WANGA/X
Opposition Chief Raila Odinga has said the Azimio La Umoja team will take the proposed National Identification fee charges to the bipartisan talks.
Speaking during the ODM Members recruitment drive rally in Mbita town, Homa Bay county, Raila said the IDs should catered for by the taxes paid by Kenyans and should be issued free of charge.
"National Identification card is a fundamental right of each and every Kenyan, we will take the matter to the bipartisan talks," he said.
The ODM Leader made the statement while asking the youth of Homa Bay County to go register and get their IDs, and before he could finish the statement, the young audience at the rally cut him short.
As they were chanting, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga stood and informed Raila of the new proposed fees.
"The matter of ID, President William Ruto has said they must pay, Ruto said they must pay to have their ID," Wanga told Raila on the side.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki had through a gazette notice announced it will cost Sh1,000 to acquire a new Identification card.
Kindiki stated that the acquisition of ID will no longer be offered for free.
For Kenyans seeking replacement for IDs, the Government has increased the charges 20 times, meaning they will now pay Sh2,000, up from Sh1o0 they used to pay.
"It is notified the general information of the public that pursuant to Regulation 60 of the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations, 2015, the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning has granted to the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration the authority for the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to revise charges and levies on its services," the gazette notice read.
However, the High Court last week issued orders stopping the implementation of the new charges for ID card and passport issuance.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi of the High Court in Nairobi gave the orders following a petition by Nakuru-based surgeon Magare Gikenyi.
Gikenyi had sought the court's relief after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced that the issuance of ID cards would no longer be free.
Gikenyi in his petition said the charges were capricious and out of reach of many Kenyans.
He urged the court to certify the matter as urgent and issue conservatory orders stopping the implementation of the new charges.
"A conservatory order be and is hereby issued suspending Gazette Notices No. 15239-15249 dated November 6, 2023, and any other document purporting to give authority to increase or review the charges/fees/levies specified therein pending the hearing and determination of the application inter-partes, " the order said.