The government has scrapped authentication fees for birth certificates when applying for national identity cards and passports, in a move aimed at making identity services more accessible, fair, and inclusive.
Speaking during celebrations to mark International Identity Day at Governor’s Park in Homa Bay Town on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen emphasised that the reforms are part of a broader effort to ease access to crucial documents for all Kenyans.
Murkomen revealed that the government has already rolled out several reforms, including the free issuance of IDs for first-time applicants, decentralised passport processing, faster service delivery, and the abolition of extra vetting for residents in border counties.
“To ensure nobody is left behind, we are now embarking on a nationwide Usajili Mashinani exercise beginning with the marginalised regions. We have also scrapped authentication fees for birth certificates when applying for ID cards and passports,” he stated.
Furthermore, he stated that in Homa Bay County, six registries are already operational for the issuance of birth and death certificates, with two more expected to be opened within the next three months to further enhance access.
This comes months after Ruto directed that Kenyans aged 18 and above be issued National Identification (ID) cards free of charge.
The directive reverses a previously gazetted fee hike, which had increased the cost of obtaining an ID for first-time applicants from Ksh100 to Ksh300 in 2024.
Speaking in Kibra Constituency in Nairobi County in March 2025, Ruto said the move aims to ensure that as many Kenyans as possible secure identification documents.
“I want to announce here in Kibra today that IDs will now be issued free of charge,” President Ruto declared.
“Every Kenyan should receive an ID without any form of discrimination,” he added.
The directive followed public outcry over the inability of many Kenyans, particularly 18-year-olds, to afford the Ksh300 application fee.
The opposition had also called on the government to abolish the high fees for first-time applicants, arguing that it hindered access to the crucial document.
