Kenyans will now get national identity cards for free after the government scrapped the Sh300 application fee, following a directive by President William Ruto.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen made the changes official in a Gazette notice on Wednesday, March 19, amending the Registration of Persons Act to remove the fee for obtaining the crucial document.
“The Sixth Schedule to the Registration of Persons Rules is amended by deleting the expression “Ksh. 300” appearing as fees for the item “Not Previously Registered (NPR)” and substituting therefor the expression “Nil”,” read part of the statement.
The decision follows Ruto’s announcement last week in Kibra, where he declared that ID cards would now be issued at no cost.
“I want to announce here in Kibra today that IDs will now be issued free of charge,” Ruto stated.
This move reverses a fee increase that had raised the cost of obtaining an ID for first-time applicants from Sh100 to Sh300 earlier in 2024.
The government had previously defended the increase, arguing it was necessary to cover administrative costs.
However, widespread public outcry pushed for its removal, with many Kenyans—especially 18-year-olds—struggling to afford the fee.
