Ruto’s government increases cost of new passports, Birth & death certificates

The government has revised passport fees upwards in all categories.

In a gazette notice dated November 7, 2023, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said, ordinary passports (34 pages) which used to cost Sh4,500 will now cost 7, 500.

The ordinary passport (50 pages ) will now cost Sh9,500 from Sh6,000 and the ordinary passport (66 pages) will cost Sh12,000 to Sh7,500.

A diplomatic passport of 50 pages will now  cost Sh15,000 from Sh 7, 500

Kenyans who are looking to replace their lost passports will part with Sh20,00 from Sh12,000.

Those seeking to replace a valid mutilated passport will now pay sh20,000 from Sh10,000.

This comes at a time when the interior CS has been working to restore order at the immigration department.

The CS stepped up efforts to eradicate corruption at the Immigration Department following public outcry over delayed processing of the travel documents.

The uproar prompted Parliament to summon him for an explanation where he admitted that corruption was endemic at the Immigration Department but vowed to crash the cartels.

The CS banned boda boda riders and idlers around immigration offices and declared the area a corruption-free zone.

Initially, there was a backlog of 87,454 passports that were yet to be collected from the Directorate of Immigration headquarters and regional offices.

As a result, Kindiki launched a 30-day Rapid Results Initiative on September 25, 2023, that would see the ministry clearing the backlog.

State increases costs of birth, death certificates

At the same time, the government has increased the costs of acquiring birth and death certificates.

The cost of the birth certificate will now be Sh200 up from Sh50 while the death certificate will cost sh200, up from Sh50.

Late registration of birth will now be Sh500 up from Sh150 and late registration of death certificate will cost Sh500 up from Sh150.

Re-registration of birth will now cost Sh1,000, up from Sh90.

In a gazette notice dated November 8, 2023, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said amendments of both and death certificates will cost Sh1,000 from Sh130.

Kenyans will part with Sh1,500 for a presumed death certificate up from Sh150.

"It is notified for the general information of the public that pursuant to Regulation 60 of the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations, 2015, the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning has granted to the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration the authority for the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to revise charges and levies on its services," the gazette notice read.