Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that government plans to implement further reforms in the issuance of identification documents to improve service delivery.
Through a statement shared on X platform on Monday morning, CS Murkomen stated that the reforms aim at consolidating gains within the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services.
He said this after holding a consultative meeting with PS Belio Kipdang’ and Heads of Directorates in the department.
“Together with PS Dr Belio Kipsang, this morning I met with Heads of Directorates in the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to discuss ways of consolidating our gains and rolling out more reforms in the sector,” Murkomen noted.
As part of the reforms, Murkomen announced that the government has already implemented key changes including the scrapping of first-time ID application fees and vetting requirement for ID applicants in border countries.
“The government has already abolished all fees for first-time ID applicants, removed the extra vetting requirement for ID applicants in border counties without compromising security, and fast-tracked the issuance of IDs and passports,” Murkomen said.
The CS also stated that additional reforms will be introduced to get rid of the financial barriers that had previously hindered access to crucial documents.
He reiterated that more changes are on the verge of completion to enhance efficient service delivery more so as the country gears up for the general elections.
“Other reforms include the scrapping of fees for authenticating birth certificates when applying for IDs and passports, and a waiver for charges on duplicate IDs. More changes are lined up to facilitate more efficient service delivery to the public.”
Present during the meeting were Secretary National Registration Bureau Dr Christopher Wanjau, Secretary Civil Registration Paul Mwangemi, eCitizen Services Director-General Amb Isaac Ochieng, Immigration Services Director-General Evelyn Cheluget, Nairobi Regional Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo, Commissioner for Refugee Affairs Mercy Mwasaru, Secretary Administration Serser Chelulei and other senior Government officials.
