The Kenyan government has rolled out significant reforms to streamline the national identity card registration process, aiming to eliminate long-standing disparities and administrative delays for young applicants across the country.
Under the new approach, local administrators are actively guiding young adults through the documentation process before formal registration.
Alexander Kang’ethe, a Senior Assistant Chief in Isinya Sub-County, noted that the previous system subjected applicants to lengthy vetting that severely delayed ID issuance. With the revised workflow, some applicants in Isinya are now receiving their national IDs in approximately three weeks.
A major pillar of the reform is the abolition of extra vetting requirements for residents in border counties. Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo highlighted that applicants in border areas historically faced additional hurdles that residents in cities like Nairobi never encountered—a disparity the government officially abolished in February 2025.
Human rights advocates and affected communities had long criticized the extra scrutiny for causing severe backlogs and systemic inequality.
Further easing the burden on citizens, the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services scrapped the KSh 300 first-time application fee in March 2025.
To bridge accessibility gaps, mobile registration teams have been deployed directly into sub-counties, while Chiefs’ offices continue to offer hands-on guidance. Eligible applicants are still required to present themselves in person at registration offices or local Huduma Centres for processing by the National Registration Bureau.
PS Omollo emphasized that securing identification for every eligible citizen is fundamental to guaranteeing equal access to public services, higher education financing, banking, and employment opportunities.
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