Nairobi, Kenya — The government has officially gazetted a six-month waiver on the Ksh.1,000 fee charged for the replacement of national identity cards and amendment of particulars, in a move aimed at boosting citizen registration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a special gazette notice issued on Friday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that the waiver takes effect immediately, allowing Kenyans to replace lost or damaged IDs, or update their details, at no cost for the next six months.
“The fees prescribed in the Sixth Schedule in respect of duplicate/replacement and change of particulars shall be nil for six months, with effect from the date of commencement of these rules,” the notice read in part.
The decision follows a directive by President William Ruto on October 4, 2025, during which he emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that no eligible citizen is disenfranchised during voter registration due to lack of an ID.
“We will make sure no one is denied the opportunity to register as a voter because of lacking an identification card,” President Ruto said.
According to CS Murkomen, the initiative is part of a broader plan to register at least one million Kenyans within the next year. The Interior Ministry has already acquired a modern printing machine capable of producing up to 15,000 ID cards per day, significantly reducing waiting times for applicants.
“Even as the IEBC is carrying out mass registration of voters, this is the time to get your ID in record time,” Murkomen stated during an inspection tour of the National Registration Bureau in Nairobi.
“We are also registering aliens and refugees in Kenya so that they can access government services. We appeal especially to the youth to get your IDs and begin transforming our nation.”
The CS further revealed that more than 400,000 uncollected ID cards remain at registration offices across the country, urging citizens to visit their respective centers and collect them.
The waiver is expected to ease the financial burden on low-income Kenyans and accelerate the ongoing national registration and digital identification drive, which the government says will enhance access to government services and support national security efforts.
