Government Removes KSh300 ID Fee and Border Vetting in Registration Reform

The Kenyan government has overhauled the national identity card registration process, eliminating the KSh300 first-time application fee and ending additional vetting for applicants from border counties.

Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo said the changes are intended to correct long-standing inequalities in access to identification documents and to support broader development goals.

The extra vetting requirement, which applied only to residents of certain border counties, was formally removed in February 2025, ending a disparity that had seen Nairobi applicants exempt from the step.

The KSh300 fee was scrapped in March 2025 by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, which also pledged to reduce processing delays.

Under the revised system, individuals turning 18 can first visit a local administrator’s office for guidance before completing formal registration at a registration office or Huduma Centre, according to the new guidelines issued to chiefs and assistant chiefs.

Alexander Kang’ethe, Senior Assistant Chief in Isinya Sub-County, explained that the previous vetting process caused long delays and that some applicants now receive their cards in about three weeks.

He added that applicants need only present the required documents to the chief, who signs them if the applicant is recognised, removing the need to return to rural homes for paperwork.

A beneficiary of the new process reported that the experience was faster than expected, noting that earlier applications could have taken a month or more.

Chiefs’ offices are playing a central role in the transition, helping residents understand documentation requirements and where to register, while mobile registration outreach programmes are targeting sub-counties and remote communities.

The National Registration Bureau remains responsible for processing the cards, and a national ID continues to required for employment, bank accounts, education financing and enrolment in government programmes.