Huduma Kenya Explains Why Birth Certificates Must Be Processed in County of Birth

Huduma Kenya has explained why parents applying for their children’s birth certificates are often required to return to the county where the child was born.

The agency said birth records are domiciled, filed and retrieved in the county where the birth occurred. This means parents who have relocated to another county may be unable to complete the application there.

The clarification follows questions from parents who said they had the required documents but were still directed to the county of birth. One parent asked why she could not apply for her child’s birth certificate in Nakuru after giving birth in Nairobi.

Huduma Kenya responded: “The birth records are domiciled, filed and retrieved at the county of birth where the birth occurred. That is the main reason you are sent back.”

Under the current system, birth records are not replicated across counties. The county where the child was born therefore remains the custodian of the original record. Parents who have since moved may be required to return to the relevant registry office or Huduma Centre to complete the process.

Applicants are required to present the birth notification, the parents’ identification cards and the child’s clinic card. The application fee is KSh250. The government is digitising birth certificate services in an effort to make applications easier. However, the transition is not yet complete. Parents can begin applications online, but physical visits to registry offices are still required for verification and processing.

The county-based system can create additional travel and financial costs for families who have moved away from the place where their children were born. The arrangement also reflects the continued reliance on physical civil registration records while the government works towards a fully digital system.

Birth certificates are essential documents used for purposes including education, employment, travel and inheritance. The continued centralisation of birth records is intended to maintain the accuracy and integrity of these records as the registration system undergoes digitisation.