NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenyan government has officially instituted a six-month waiver on the Ksh 1,000 fee previously charged for the replacement of lost Identity Cards (IDs) and the amendment of personal particulars.
The waiver, outlined in a special gazette notice on Friday, November 1, 2025, formalizes a directive from President William Ruto. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen stated the action is designed to ensure every Kenyan can acquire the document necessary for accessing government services and registering to vote.
The official notice confirms the period and scope of the waiver: “The fees prescribed in the Sixth Schedule in respect of duplicate/replacement and change of particulars shall be nil for six months, with effect from the date of commencement of these rules.”
Driving mass registration ahead of 2027
This initiative is a crucial component of the government’s broader strategy to register at least one million more Kenyans over the next 12 months.
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President Ruto first announced the fee suspension on October 4, 2025, emphasizing its importance for democratic participation. He promised the window would remain effective until after the 2027 General Elections.
“We will make sure no one is denied the opportunity to register as a voter because of lacking an identification card,” the President stated.
Operational boost for ID printing
To support the massive registration drive, the National Registration Bureau has acquired a modern machine capable of printing up to 15,000 ID cards daily.
Speaking during a tour of the Bureau in Nairobi on October 4, 2025, CS Murkomen detailed the expanded registration efforts:
“Even as the IEBC is carrying out mass registration of voters, this is the time to get your ID in record time. We are also not just registering Kenyans but also aliens in Kenya, refugees, so that they can access services,” Murkomen said.
He issued a direct appeal, particularly to the youth, urging them to participate in the national process: “We want to appeal to the youth to get your IDs so that you can begin transforming our nation.”
The CS also highlighted an existing backlog, revealing that more than 400,000 uncollected IDs currently sit in registration offices nationwide, and called on the public to collect their documents immediately.
