The Interior Ministry, led by CS Kithure Kindiki, has unveiled two key reasons behind the significant hike in fees for applying and duplicating identification cards (ID), marking a tenfold increase.

In an official statement, the Ministry clarified that the fee adjustment was necessary to align with the escalating costs of raw materials involved in the production of these essential documents.

The Ministry emphasized that the enhanced quality of the new raw materials, surpassing the current standards, is a driving factor behind the application charges rising to a range of Ksh750 to Ksh1,000.

The proposal, put forth by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, outlines the intended implementation of the new fees starting January 1, 2024.

The statement highlighted the prolonged duration without a review of the fees, stating, "The fees that are currently charged for the issuance of ID cards have not been reviewed for many years and are no longer reflective of the real cost of the services."

The upcoming 3rd Generation ID card is expected to feature upgraded elements to comply with international standards and heightened security requirements. The advanced materials used in the new card, along with the incorporation of advanced security features, contribute to the increased production costs.

Services such as birth and death certificates will see a fee hike from Ksh50 to Ksh200, and the cost of replacing a lost ID card will be set at Ksh1,000.

The introduction of new security features in these documents is aimed at curbing the prevalence of counterfeit documents. The statement explained, "The quality of materials used in the production of the new certificates is superior to what was being previously used, taking into account added security features intended to safeguard the integrity of the documents by making it difficult to forge or make fake documents."

Additionally, the fee for late applications for birth and death certification is seen as a measure to encourage prompt registration of events, supporting the collection of accurate and relevant data.

In response to public backlash in mid-November, the Ministry reduced the initially proposed fee for ID applications from Ksh2,000 to Ksh1,000. However, Kenyans will still face increased costs for passports, with an ordinary 34-page passport priced at Ksh7,500, a 50-page document at Ksh9,500, and a 66-page travel document at Ksh12,500.