State extends ID fee waiver by six months

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen/X

The government has extended the waiver on fees for the replacement of national identity cards and change of particulars for a further six months.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced that the extension takes effect from April 30, 2026, following the issuance of a Special Gazette Notice under the Registration of Persons Act.

"We have today issued a Special Gazette Notice extending the waiver period for fees charged on the replacement of IDs and change of particulars for a further six months," Murkomen said.

The extension is formalised in the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which revise the earlier provision that had limited the waiver to an initial six-month period.

The amendment replaces that timeline with a defined window running from April 30 to October 30, effectively granting Kenyans more time to benefit from the fee waiver.

Murkomen said the decision is part of broader government efforts to ensure that all citizens are able to acquire vital identification documents.

“We are committed to ensuring that all citizens can acquire vital identification documents to access government services and other opportunities,” he said.

The waiver applies to fees ordinarily charged for replacing lost or damaged identity cards, as well as for making changes to personal details.

These costs have often been cited as barriers, particularly for low-income earners and individuals in marginalised communities.

The Interior CS noted that the extension complements other recent policy measures introduced by the government to ease access to identification documents.

Among these is the removal of charges for first-time ID applicants, as well as the scrapping of authentication fees for birth certificates.

Murkomen urged eligible candidates who have yet to obtain or update their identification documents to take advantage of the extended waiver period.

“I call on all eligible Kenyans to take advantage of this waiver and register for ID cards,” he said.

National identity cards are a critical requirement for accessing a wide range of services in Kenya, including opening bank accounts, registering for mobile money services, securing employment, and benefiting from government programmes.

The extension of the waiver is therefore expected to boost registration and ensure that more citizens are formally recognised within the national system.

It also comes amid ongoing efforts to streamline registration processes and improve service delivery within the civil registration framework.

In the proposals that were later reversed, Kenyans were to pay Sh300 for new ID applications, a fee that was initially set to rise to Sh1,000.

There was also a plan to increase the replacement fee to Sh2,000, later reduced to Sh1,000 following public outcry.