The government has announced a six-month waiver on fees for replacing national identification cards and amending personal details, in a move aimed at making access to identification services easier for all Kenyans.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen made the announcement through a special gazette notice published on Friday, confirming that Kenyans will not be required to pay any charges for ID replacements or updates during the waiver period.
According to the notice, the directive takes immediate effect, offering temporary financial relief to millions of citizens seeking to replace lost IDs or update personal details such as names and birth information.
“The government has today issued a special gazette notice waiving fees charged for the replacement of IDs and change of particulars for a period of six months,” Murkomen said.
He added that the initiative aligns with President William Ruto’s directive to make national registration services more accessible and affordable by removing unnecessary financial and bureaucratic barriers.
The Interior CS further noted that the waiver complements other recent reforms, including free issuance of IDs to first-time applicants, removal of extra vetting requirements for residents in border regions, and elimination of authentication fees for birth certificates when applying for IDs or passports.
Murkomen urged Kenyans to take advantage of the waiver window and apply for new or replacement ID cards before the normal charges are reinstated.
Confusion Over Earlier Directives
The announcement comes days after Huduma Kenya dismissed reports of a fee waiver, contradicting President Ruto’s statement earlier in the week.
Speaking on October 28, President Ruto had explained that the ID replacement fee — previously set at Ksh1,000 — would be waived until after the 2027 General Election to ensure all eligible citizens can register as voters.
“We will ensure no one is denied the opportunity to register as a voter because they lack an identification card,” Ruto stated.
In May 2024, former Interior CS Kithure Kindiki gazetted new charges requiring Kenyans to pay Ksh300 for new ID applications and Ksh1,000 for replacements. However, those fees were later scrapped in March 2025 following a government review of the policy.