NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyans seeking government services through the eCitizen platform are set to pay higher transaction charges under a new Treasury-backed fee structure that will significantly alter the cost of accessing thousands of public services online.
The revised charges are contained in the proposed Public Finance Management (e-Citizen System Management) Regulations, 2026, introduced by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi as part of a broader restructuring of the government’s digital payment ecosystem.
The reforms mark a major shift from the flat Ksh50 convenience fee that has applied across most services since the launch of the eCitizen platform. Under the new framework, charges will now be calculated based on the value of the service being accessed.
“There shall be a convenience fee charged for services offered by national or county government entities onboarded on the system,” Mbadi stated.
The Treasury argues the revised model is necessary to sustain the rapidly expanding eCitizen infrastructure, which now hosts more than 30,000 government services across ministries, departments, counties and state agencies.
The changes also come amid growing scrutiny over the legality and transparency of eCitizen charges after the High Court in April last year questioned the legality of the previous flat-rate levy.
New eCitizen fee structure
Under the proposed regulations, services valued above Ksh100,000 will attract a Ksh100 convenience fee.
These include high-value transactions such as:
- Stamp duty payments
- Land rent
- Lease extension fees
- Land title transfers
- Premium payments for government land allocations
Services costing between Ksh10,000 and Ksh99,999 will now attract a Ksh70 fee.
Affected services include:
- Limited company registration
- Investor and work permits for foreigners
- Consulting engineer registration
- Court filing fees for major civil disputes
- County business permits for medium and large enterprises
- Construction approvals and development permits
- Moderate-value land transactions
Meanwhile, services valued between Ksh500 and Ksh9,999 will continue attracting a Ksh50 fee, covering some of the most frequently used government services by ordinary Kenyans.
These include:
- Passport applications and renewals
- Smart driving licence applications
- Certificates of Good Conduct
- Business name registration
- Marriage certificate applications
- Land searches
- Duplicate driving licences
- Driving test bookings
- Visa applications
- Interim and provisional NTSA licences
Under the lower bracket, services costing between Ksh100 and Ksh499 will attract a Ksh5 fee.
These include:
- Duplicate birth certificate applications
- Temporary permits
- Motor vehicle search services
- Civil registration searches
- Basic Judiciary and NTSA document requests
Services below Ksh99 will remain free.
These include:
- Opening an eCitizen account
- Profile access and login
- Government service searches
- Some public information lookup services
- Certain government waivers such as free ID replacement applications
Treasury defends changes amid public scrutiny
The Treasury maintains the revised pricing structure is intended to create a sustainable funding mechanism for the digital platform, whose operational demands have expanded significantly in recent years.
Officials argue that without the convenience charges, maintenance, cybersecurity, system upgrades and integration of additional services could become difficult.
The government has increasingly positioned eCitizen at the centre of Kenya’s digital governance agenda, with billions of shillings in annual transactions now processed through the platform.
The system currently handles services from agencies including the Directorate of Immigration, NTSA, KRA, Judiciary, Lands Ministry, Registrar of Companies and county governments.
However, the proposal has already attracted criticism from transparency advocates and oversight bodies.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has reportedly raised concerns over the structure and accountability of the fees, amid broader questions surrounding revenue collection, procurement processes and management of the eCitizen ecosystem.
Critics argue that while digitisation has improved efficiency and reduced physical queues in government offices, the accumulation of transaction costs risks making essential services more expensive for ordinary citizens already grappling with a high cost of living.
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The proposed regulations are also likely to reignite debate over whether digital access to government services should be treated primarily as a public utility or a revenue-generating mechanism.
Kenya’s digital government push expands
The latest reforms come as the Kenya Kwanza administration accelerates efforts to digitise state services and integrate cashless payments across government agencies.
President William Ruto has repeatedly defended the digital transformation agenda as critical to reducing corruption, sealing revenue leakages and improving service delivery.
Over the past two years, the government has expanded eCitizen integration to include licensing, taxation, land services, social protection programmes and county functions.
Treasury officials say the next phase will involve deeper integration with banking systems, mobile money platforms and real-time revenue monitoring tools.
But analysts warn that rising digital transaction fees could undermine public confidence if not accompanied by stronger transparency, accountability and visible improvements in service reliability.
