MPs reject Gov't move to increase birth, death certificate costs

Members of the Delegated Legislation Committee now want the Ministry of Interior to revoke the Registration of Persons (Amendment) rules anchoring the new national Identity card, popularly referred to as the Maisha Namba,

According to the committee chaired by Samuel Chepkonga, there are too many substantive errors in the regulations that can’t be changed by mere corrections.

Speaking during a meeting with Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, the committee ordered for the revocation of the regulations to ensure that they conform to the law.

“On a number of issues that we have raised which are very substantive, a corrigenda may not be sufficient. You may need to republish and revoke what you have already provided, because if we consider it in the manner it is, it might be very difficult to achieve the intended purpose,” Chepkonga stated.

Bitok however strongly defended the regulations insisting that they went through thorough public participation and they will help in making Kenyans register to the new Maisha card.

The PS told the committee that they conducted public participation across all the constituencies in the country.

“We went to the field and we did 820 meetings of public participation on this Maisha Namba, we have the report on what Kenyans said, This is so important for our national security, this ID is secure and temper proof, it’s a very  secure card,” he told the committee.

However, members of the committee insisted that the regulations barely mentioned Maisha Namba, insisting it might not be possible to approve the regulations.

“Maisha card is a very good name, it actually sounds very Kenyan, but where is it in the regulations?” Posed committee chair Chepkonga.

The Registration of Persons (Amendment) rules for instance, prescribe a charge of Ksh.300 to apply for a new Identity Card.

Previously, the acquisition of a new Identity Card cost Ksh.300, before it was reduced to Ksh.100, then Ksh.50 before the application charge was waived under the administration of the immediate former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Registration of Persons (Amendment) rules further seek to prescribe Ksh.1,000 each to duplicate or replace an ID Card, to alter the particulars of the ID Card, for identification reports, for civil servants’ card and staff badges for public officers - a fee that was vehemently opposed by members of the committee.

PS Bitok explained that the increase was to help in curbing fraudulent cases.

“We are charging Ksh.1,000 for correction of errors; this is because there is a lot of attempt to fraudulently change documents. it's also a national security issue to avoid someone trying to manipulate the system to change their particulars,” he explained.

The Births and Deaths registration (Amendment) rules proposes Ksh.1,000 for the registration, re-registration of births and making a correction in a birth or death entry.

The services were previously offered free of charge.

There is also a proposal to charge Ksh.500 for the registration of a birth or death more than six months after the date of birth or death and Ksh.200 for birth or death certificate.

A further Ksh.500 is prescribed for authenticating the seal of the Principal Registrar on any birth or death certificate on application by an individual and a government agency.