Ruto Orders Removal Of Charges On IDs

This marks a shift from the previous government directive, which required citizens to pay Ksh 300 for new applications and Ksh 1,000 for renewals.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Mar 13, 2025 - 13:40 Updated: Mar 13, 2025 - 14:05
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Ruto Orders Removal Of Charges On IDs
A photo of Kenyan ID cards ready for collection at Huduma Center. /IMMIGRATION AND CITIZEN SERVICES

President William Ruto has declared that Kenyans will now obtain national identification documents (IDs) free of charge.

This marks a shift from the previous government directive, which required citizens to pay Ksh 300 for new applications and Ksh 1,000 for renewals.

While addressing the public at Ayany in Kibra on Thursday, during the final day of his four-day working tour of Nairobi County, the President directed all government registration agencies to adhere to the new policy.

"I want to announce here at Kibra today that IDs should be issued without any charges and with a plan that is free from any sort of discrimination against Kenyans," Ruto announced.

President William Ruto speaking in Mutuini Fresh Produce Market in Dagoretti South Constituency, Nairobi on March 12, 2025. /PCS

Additionally, the President ordered that no Kenyan should face discriminatory questioning based on their background when applying for these essential documents.

"I had said that matters of being discriminated in terms of issuing IDs should be done away with. Every citizen should be given an ID card," Ruto asserted.

Ruto issued the directive in response to an appeal made during the rally by Kibra Member of Parliament Mwalimu Peter Orero. The MP urged the President to address the challenges faced by thousands of Nubian community members who had been unable to obtain identification documents due to stringent requirements.

Orero requested Ruto to not only issue the directive but also ensure its formal gazettement, similar to a previous order on ID applications in the porous North Eastern region.

However, the announcement is expected to spark mixed reactions from the public and leaders, some of whom have previously criticized Ruto's 'roadside policy declarations.'

The cost of obtaining ID cards has long been a contentious issue, with Kenyans voicing concerns over government-imposed fees for applications and renewals.

Political figures, including People's Liberation Party of Kenya leader Martha Karua, have condemned the charges, arguing that they were a deliberate attempt to prevent unemployed youth from voting in the 2027 elections.

In May 2024, then-Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki formalized the revised fees, requiring Kenyans to pay Ksh 300 for new applications and Ksh 1,000 for renewals.

Processed IDs at Nyayo House in Nairobi County. /JULIUS BITOK

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