Murkomen: Plan Underway to Remove Birth Certificate Application Fees

The government is considering removing application fees for birth certificates as part of efforts to expand civil registration across the country.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the proposal is under review and that President William Ruto will make a final decision after consultations with relevant stakeholders. He spoke on Wednesday, 28 January, during the commissioning of the Assistant County Commissioner’s office in Inoi Division, Kirinyaga County.

Mr Murkomen said the move would mirror the earlier decision to waive fees for national identity card registration, which led to a significant rise in applications. He noted that the aim is to ensure more births are formally recorded, in line with the government’s manifesto. He added that the public would be informed once a decision is reached.

He highlighted longstanding obstacles to birth registration, particularly in rural areas, where costs and long travel distances to registration offices have limited access. These challenges, he said, have prevented many citizens from obtaining birth certificates required for school admission, healthcare, employment and access to government services.

Alongside the proposed fee waiver, the government plans to decentralise civil registration services to constituency level. Birth and death certificates would be issued at Constituency ID registration centres, reducing travel time and administrative delays for families.

Under current regulations, a standard birth or death certificate costs Ksh200, an increase from the previous Ksh50. Late registration, defined as more than six months after birth or death, attracts a fee of Ksh500, while re-registration or replacement of certificates costs Ksh1,000. These charges are set out in the Births and Deaths Registration Rules published in a Kenya Gazette notice by the Ministry of Interior.

The government has previously waived certain identification fees. In October last year, a six-month waiver was introduced for replacing national identity cards and updating personal details.