Kenyans to pay more for birth, death certificates as Gov't raises fees

It will cost Kenyans more to acquire birth and death certificates after the State effected new fees for various services offered by the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services.

In a special Kenya Gazette supplement issued a month before his ascent to the office of Deputy President, then Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki gazetted the new fees, which include an upward revision of the registration fees for births and deaths, now costing Kenyans Ksh.200, up from Ksh.50.

Late registrations will also require Kenyans to pay up to Ksh.500 for the service, an increase of Ksh.350 from the previous Ksh.150. In case of the loss of either document, individuals will have to pay Ksh.1,000, up from the current Ksh.90.

To make amendments to the same documents in case of an error, such as a typo or a missing letter in a name, individuals will be required to pay Ksh.1,000, up from the previous rate of Ksh.130.

Foreign registration of births in Kenyan missions abroad will require Kenyans in those countries to pay up to USD150, the equivalent of Ksh.19,000.

In other changes, authenticating the seal of the Principal Registrar will now cost Kenyans Ksh.500, with the same service costing $100 (Ksh.12,950) when provided by a foreign mission in Kenya.

For the registration of a birth or death of a Kenyan citizen occurring abroad but registered in Kenya, the charge will be Ksh.1,000, while the registration of a presumed death will cost Ksh.1,500, up from Ksh.150.

The upward review is one of the ways the government is seeking to raise its revenues, with the changes occurring alongside those that increased the fees for acquiring a passport for foreign travel.