Govt to Offer Free Birth, Death Certificate Documents as Services Move Closer to You
The government is considering scrapping application fees for birth and death certificates as part of a broader plan to expand access to civil registration services and improve documentation across the country, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced.
Speaking on Wednesday, January 28, during the commissioning of the Assistant County Commissioner’s office in Inoi Division, Kirinyaga County, Murkomen said the proposal is still under consultation and will be subject to final approval by President William Ruto. The move, he noted, is intended to remove long-standing barriers that have prevented many Kenyans—particularly those in rural and marginalised areas—from registering births and deaths.
“We are reviewing the issue of fees for birth and death certificates, and once consultations are concluded, the President will make a final pronouncement,” Murkomen said.
The Cabinet Secretary explained that high application costs and long distances to civil registration offices have historically locked out thousands of Kenyans from accessing the crucial documents. Birth certificates are required for school enrolment, access to healthcare, national examinations, employment, and other government services.
Murkomen said the proposal mirrors the government’s earlier decision to waive fees for national identity card registration, a move that significantly increased uptake across the country.
“It will be done in the same way we waived ID registration fees, to enable us to document more births in line with the government’s manifesto,” he stated.
In a related announcement, the Interior CS revealed that the government has approved the decentralisation of civil registration services to bring them closer to the public. Under the new arrangement, birth and death registration offices will be housed at Constituency ID registration centres nationwide.
“We have agreed to decentralise civil registration offices across all constituencies so that more people can easily register and access these essential documents,” Murkomen said.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen interacts with residents in Kiawakara, Kirinyaga Central Sub-County, during the unveiling of IDs and civil registration services on January 28, 2026.
The decentralisation initiative is expected to reduce travel costs and waiting times for applicants, particularly in remote areas where residents often travel long distances to access civil registration offices located at county headquarters.
Currently, under the Births and Deaths Registration Rules gazetted by the Ministry of Interior, the cost of obtaining a standard birth certificate was revised to Ksh200 from the previous Ksh50. The same fee applies to death certificates. Late registration—defined as registering a birth or death more than six months after occurrence—attracts a fee of Ksh500.
In cases of re-registration, such as replacing a lost certificate or correcting details like names, applicants are required to pay Ksh1,000. These charges, according to the government, were introduced to streamline services and cover administrative costs, but they have drawn criticism from the public for being prohibitive.
Murkomen acknowledged the concerns, saying the government is re-evaluating the fees to align civil registration with its broader social inclusion agenda.
“Many Kenyans have been left out of critical services simply because they lack basic documents. Our goal is to remove these barriers and ensure no one is excluded,” he said.
The announcement comes months after the government, in October last year, introduced a six-month waiver on fees charged for replacing national identity cards and changing personal details. That move was aimed at easing access to identification documents and improving national registration data.
If approved, the proposed waiver on birth and death certificate fees would mark a significant shift in civil registration policy and is expected to boost registration rates, improve national statistics, and strengthen access to public services.
ALSO READ: Ruto Blasts Judiciary in Front of CJ Koome, Criticizes Rulings Against His Projects
Govt to Offer Free Birth, Death Certificate Documents as Services Move Closer to You
