A quiet adjustment on Kenya’s eCitizen platform has triggered loud protests, with users demanding answers over extra charges tacked onto government service payments.
On Wednesday, Kenyans took to social media to vent their frustration after discovering what they described as an “unexplained” additional cost of Ksh100 per transaction. Many said the charge, which now appears as a mix of an “access fee,” “service fee,” and “convenience fee,” had pushed costs higher than advertised.
Take the case of renewing a smart driving licence: the official charge is Ksh3,000. Yet users reported being billed Ksh3,150 — including Ksh50 as an access fee, another Ksh50 as a service fee, and a further Ksh50 as a convenience fee.
“Tell me why I am paying an extra Ksh100 other than the stated invoice amount? I demand my money be refunded with immediate effect,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). Others claimed they had experienced double charges, or struggled to retrieve invoices after making payments.
The uproar comes just days after a separate row over Karura Forest entry fees. Visitors are now required to pay Ksh166 via eCitizen — up from Ksh100 — following a Kenya Forest Service (KFS) decision to shift all payments online.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Alex Lemarkoko, defended the changes, pointing to VAT compliance and transaction costs. “For eCitizen, we have what we call a convenience fee, which is a transaction fee. There are only two increases: the convenience fee and VAT,” he said during a TV interview on Tuesday.
Lemarkoko added that visitors could reduce costs by paying as a group. “If 20 people came and paid at once, they would only pay once with one Ksh50 transaction,” he explained.
But for many Kenyans, the explanations have done little to ease concerns. Questions remain about transparency, accountability, and whether the fees are a fair burden on citizens already struggling with the high cost of living.
The Treasury and ICT Ministry, under whose docket eCitizen falls, had not issued an official response by Wednesday evening.