Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has scrapped the authentication fee previously required when using a birth certificate to apply for national IDs or passports.

Speaking in Homa Bay County on Tuesday, September 16, he stated that the move aims to reduce unnecessary costs and facilitate easier access to identification, in line with the government’s plan to simplify registration.

“Effective today, the civil registration services will no longer charge any authentication fees for a birth certificate when applying for ID and passports. This step removes unnecessary financial barriers and aligns with our vision to simplify ID access,” Murkomen declared.

Murkomen added that the government is also working on removing charges for both birth and death certificate applications to guarantee that all Kenyans, regardless of income or location, can obtain these essential documents.

To make IDs more accessible, the CS said the government is considering cutting the ID replacement fee, which currently stands at Ksh1,050.

He also noted that a policy review is underway to recognise and register smaller, previously unrecognised communities officially.

“We are also implementing a policy review to recognise and document small and unrecognised communities that still face systemic challenges in securing documentation. Every Kenyan counts, and every Kenyan must be counted,” the CS affirmed.

Murkomen also revealed that the Interior Ministry is rolling out a simplified digital platform that will let Kenyans apply for and monitor their ID applications online.

He explained that the system will provide real-time updates on the progress and status of each application.

“We want to ensure that there is a seamless citizen-centric approach to the identity services,” Murkomen stated, adding that plans were underway to construct more civil registration offices across Kenya.

Issuing the directives, Murkomen urged Kenyans who have not applied for or collected their ID cards to do so promptly, stressing that the documents will be crucial for voting in the 2027 general elections.

He also criticised certain politicians, accusing them of trying to undermine the government’s recent move to abolish ID vetting in North-Eastern counties.