After weeks of public confusion and complaints, the government has officially waived the KSh1,050 fee for the replacement of lost National Identity Cards for a period of six months.
The announcement, contained in a special gazette notice issued today, brings relief to thousands of Kenyans who had continued to be charged both online and at Huduma Centres despite an earlier directive to scrap the fees.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that the waiver takes effect immediately, directing all registration offices to comply strictly with the notice.
“This is in line with H.E. President William Samoei Ruto’s directive aimed at ensuring that every Kenyan acquires the document, which is a crucial access point to government services and other opportunities,” said Murkomen.
The CS noted that the move is part of a wider set of reforms designed to ease access to vital registration services. “This waiver follows our other reforms, which include free issuance to first-time ID applicants, abolition of the extra-vetting requirement for border counties, and the scrapping of authentication fees for birth certificates when applying for IDs and passports,” he added.
The confusion had persisted for weeks as some Huduma Centre attendants and online portals continued to demand payment for replacements, leading to public outrage and calls for clarity.
Murkomen urged Kenyans to take full advantage of the waiver window. “I urge the public to seize this opportunity and ensure they get their IDs. No one should be denied essential services for lack of this document,” he said.
The six-month waiver is expected to ease the burden on millions struggling with high living costs while also boosting national registration coverage ahead of the planned rollout of the new digital ID system.
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