Govt Hikes Fee for Birth and Death Certificates

The State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services has approved new service charges related to various functions.

These changes follow a gazette notice issued in November 2023 by the then-Interior Cabinet Secretary, Professor Kithure Kindiki.

As a result, Kenyans will see an increase in fees for accessing certain services, including the issuance of birth and death certificates.

In a special Kenya gazette supplement released a month before he took office as Deputy President, Kindiki announced the new fees, which include an increase for the registration of birth and death certificates from Ksh 50 to Ksh 200 each.

For late registration of these certificates, the fee has risen from Ksh 150 to Ksh 500. If individuals need to replace either certificate, they will now have to pay Ksh 1,000, which is an increase from the previous fee of Ksh 90.

 Birth and death certificates

Additionally, if there is an error or typo in either of the documents, the cost for correction has increased from Ksh 130 to Ksh 1,000.

For Kenyans living abroad who want to register for birth and death certificates, the fee will now be approximately Ksh 19,350 to be processed through Kenya’s embassy or consulate offices.

Also Read: Ministry of Interior Issues Update on Passports Application and Collection

Elsewhere, authenticating the seal of a registrar will now require Kenyans to pay Ksh 500, a service that was previously free of charge. For the same service issued by a foreign mission in Kenya, Kenyans will now pay Ksh 12,900.

For the registration of a birth or death of a Kenyan citizen that occurs abroad but is made in Kenya, the charge will be Ksh 1,000. For the registration of a presumed death, one will be required to pay Ksh 1,500, up from the previous fee of Ksh 150.

Kindiki raises fee for passports and IDs

In November 2023, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced an increase in charges for passports and ID cards, which led to significant public outcry. Consequently, he revoked the initial notice to allow for public participation.

Also Read: Fake IDs: Is Govt Printing Duplicate IDs Ahead of 2027?

He later revised the charges from the previous gazette notice, and the new fees took effect on January 1, 2024. The revised charges are as follows:

• New ID card: Ksh 300 (down from the initially proposed Ksh 1,000)
• Replacement of lost ID card: Ksh 1,000 (previously Ksh 100)
• Basic passport (34 pages): Ksh 7,500 (up from Ksh 4,500)
• 50-page passport: Ksh 9,500 (up from Ksh 6,000)
• 66-page passport: Ksh 12,500 (up from Ksh 7,500)
• Diplomatic passport: Ksh 15,000 (double the current amount)

Follow our WhatsApp Channel and join our WhatsApp Group for real-time news updates.