Interior Ministry seeks Sh4.2 billion to fund free national ID program

Immigration PS Belio Kipsang before the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security at Bunge Towers, Nairobi, on October 30, 2025. (Photo: Senate)

By Maureen Kinyanjui
Friday, October 31, 2025

Each card costs about Sh400 to produce, with additional expenses bringing the total to around Sh700 per card.

The Ministry of Interior has moved to secure an additional Sh4.2 billion from Parliament to fund the issuance of national identity cards after President William Ruto eliminated the fees for first-time applications and temporarily suspended the replacement charges.

The President had earlier directed that the Sh300 first-time ID fee be scrapped and the Sh1,000 replacement fee be put on hold until after the 2027 elections.

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Immigration PS Belio Kipsang told the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security that the extra funding is necessary to produce six million ID cards this year.

“We project that we will produce 3 million identity cards and then replace them with a similar number, and we expect to spend about Sh4.2 billion,” he said.

Kipsang noted that last year the ministry printed roughly 2.3 million cards, but the numbers are expected to rise ahead of the elections.

Each card costs about Sh400 to produce, with additional expenses bringing the total to around Sh700 per card.

“The cost of the card alone is about Sh400; when you add other expenses, it goes to about Sh700,” he explained.

The PS said the ministry will formally approach MPs during supplementary budget discussions to secure the funds.

Without this support, he warned, the free ID program could be delayed, affecting national registration targets and service delivery.

A key factor behind the anticipated increase in demand is the removal of the vetting requirement, which had previously barred many Kenyans from obtaining IDs. Border counties, in particular, were heavily affected by the discriminatory vetting.

“For instance, he said in Homa Bay county, persons who are 50 years and above have no Identity cards; in Kwale and Taita Taveta, people who are 70 years and above do not have the said document; while in Tiaty constituency, the situation is even worse,” he stated.

PS Kipsang emphasised that empowering local chiefs to identify eligible citizens will allow more people to access the vital document.

“The people to identify the eligible candidates are not the vetting committees but the chiefs. With this, we expect more people to acquire IDs. People have suffered for a long time, and this will sort out most of our issues,” he added.

President Ruto described the national ID as a constitutional right, scrapping the 60-year-old vetting practice that had denied many citizens access to the card.

Previously, first-time applicants paid Sh300, and replacements were Sh1,000. The discussion took place under the committee chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, reviewing budget execution for the 2024/2025 financial year.