Committe Urges Reduction of ID, Birth certificate fees Amid Economic Strain

Nairobi

Thursday, December 4, 2024

McCreadie Andias 

Members of Kenya’s Delegated Legislation Committee have raised serious concerns over the proposed fee increases for acquiring national identity cards and birth certificates, calling for a reduction in the costs to make these essential documents more accessible to the public.

The discussion, led by Committee Chairperson Hon. Samuel Chepkong’a (Ainabkoi), took place during a review of the proposed amendments to regulations governing the registration of persons and birth registrations. The amendments, which are set to introduce new charges, have sparked a heated debate, with MPs questioning the rationale behind the hikes.

The proposed regulations, namely the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Rules, 2024 and Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2024, seek to impose a Sh300 fee for applying for a new ID card, a process that has previously been free. 

Additionally, those replacing lost ID cards or updating personal details will now face a fee of Sh1,000, up from the previous Sh100 charge.

Hon. Chepkong’a emphasized that there is no clear justification for the fee increases, stressing that the aim should be to encourage more Kenyans to apply for these vital documents, not deter them.

“There is no proper justification for increasing the fees for applying for new identity cards or for replacing the document. The department should lower the fees to attract more Kenyans to apply,” he stated.

Hon. Robert Gichimu (Gichugu), the Committee Vice-Chairperson, also expressed his concerns, particularly regarding the high fee for correcting errors in 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.

The issue of the fee hikes has garnered widespread support from several MPs, who argue that the increased costs will place a heavy burden on ordinary Kenyans, especially during tough economic times. 

Hon. Pauline Lenguris (Samburu) and Hon. Kibet Komingoi (Bureti) were vocal in their opposition, with Lenguris cautioning that raising fees for government services could negatively impact vulnerable citizens. "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.

Hon. Komingoi questioned the need for such high fees in light of the government's push towards digitalizing services, asking, “Why are the fees still high, especially when the government has declared that it is going digital?”

In response to the concerns raised by the MPs, Prof. Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary of the Immigration and Citizen Services, defended the fee increases. He explained that the hikes were necessary due to inflation and the rising costs of providing these services.

However, despite the PS's defense, the lawmakers remain firm in their stance, urging the government to reconsider the new fees to ensure that the process of obtaining national identity cards and birth certificates remains affordable for all Kenyans.

As the debate continues, the Committee is expected to press for a review of the proposed fee changes to ensure that they do not become an obstacle to citizens’ access to essential government services.