Suggestions

··

Kenyans React as Govt Increases Cost of Passports, I.Ds and other Vital Documents

November 9, 2023
by

The government has announced revised costs for key services under the Immigration Department, meaning Kenyans will now have to dig deeper into their pockets for crucial documents such as passports, death certificates, and Identification Cards.

A gazette notice dated November 7 granted the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Prof Kithuure Kindiki, the authority to revise charges and levies on services within the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services.

CS Kindiki has thus declared that obtaining a national ID will no longer be provided free of charge. Those not previously registered will have to part with Sh1,000.

Registered Kenyans in need of ID replacements will hence have to pay 20 times more than the previous cost, with the new fee set at Sh2,000, up from Sh100.

Fees for ordinary passport booklets with 34 pages have increased by Sh3,000, now priced at Sh7,500. For 50-page booklets, the cost has risen to Sh9,500 from Sh6,000, and 66-page booklets will be Sh12,500 instead of Sh7,500.

The Diplomatic passport with 50 pages has doubled from Sh7,500 to Sh15,000.

Kenyans seeking to replace a lost or mutilated passport will now incur a fee of Sh20,000, up from Sh12,000 for a lost passport and Sh10,000(mutilated).

The revised charges also extend to birth and death certificates; the cost of a birth certificate has increased to Sh200 from Sh50, and the fee for a death certificate is now Sh200, up from Sh50.

Late registration of birth will now incur a fee of Sh500, up from Sh150, and late registration of a death certificate will cost Sh500, also increased from Sh150.

Additionally, the re-registration of birth will now cost Sh1,000, up from the previous fee of Sh90.

Amendments to both birth and death certificates will now cost Sh1,000, an increase from the previous fee of Sh130.

Further still, Kenyan citizens will now pay Sh1,500 for a presumed death certificate, up from the previous fee of Sh150.

The cost of marriage certificates has also surged from Sh30,000 to sh100,000.

Kenyans applying for visas, citizenships, and work permits will also feel the pinch.

As expected, the increased charges for the basic yet vital govt documents have provoked strong reactions from Kenyans, who are already overburdened by President William Ruto’s tax and economic policies. Some are even calling on Opposition Leader Raila Odinga to announce a resumption of Maandamanos(anti-government street protests).

To cope with the rising costs of everything, Kenyans on Twitter have chosen to make fun of the situation as they continue to share funny tweets and memes on the X platform since Wednesday evening.

Check out some reactions below.

 



Previous Story

CEOs of Kenya Power, KRA, Hustler Fund Among 17 Summoned over eCitizen Non-compliance

Next Story

What to Look For In a Real Money Casino Game

Latest from Blog

Don't Miss

4,888 Affordable Housing Units Ready in 17 Counties: Prices and Availability

MPs Reject EPRA Levy Hike Amid Concerns Over Rising Energy Costs