The government plans to stop charging for birth and death certificates, Pulse Live Kenya reported. Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang announced the plan on Monday. He was appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security.
Kipsang said the government is preparing a Gazette notice to remove the charges. The notice had not been published when he spoke, so current fees still apply. A standard birth certificate costs Sh200. Registering a birth after six months carries a Sh500 late fee, plus Sh200 for the certificate. Any amendment to a birth or death certificate costs Sh1,000.
The fee schedule also lists Sh200 to certify a current death and Sh500 for a late death registration. According to Pulse Live Kenya, these charges rose under the 2024 Births and Deaths Registration Rules.
Alongside the waiver, the government plans to link the Civil Registration Services system to the Ministry of Health's Hospital Management Information System. Hospitals will send a baby's birth details electronically to registration officials. Parents will no longer have to rely solely on carrying paper birth notifications between offices. Kipsang said technical teams aim to complete the link within 30 days.
The link is expected to cover more than 7,500 public hospitals. Private facilities empanelled by the Social Health Authority are also expected to join. Once a birth is registered, parents can download or print the certificate from anywhere. That could cut trips to hospitals, Huduma Centres and registration offices. The system has already been piloted in parts of the country.
Every newborn will get a Unique Personal Identifier, also known as Maisha Namba. The 2024 rules already allow registrars to assign this number when a birth is registered. The same number will be used to register the person's death. At 18, it is expected to become the national ID number once the person applies for an ID card and provides biometric details.
The government says the digital system will speed up registration and cut the cost of identity documents. How soon families benefit depends on when the waiver is gazetted and how quickly hospitals are connected.