Over 82,000 IDs lie uncollected at Huduma Centres nationwide

National IDs awaiting collection. (Photo: Huduma Kenya)

By Lucy Mumbi
Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Huduma Kenya confirmed that the documents had already been processed and were ready for collection in all its 59 centres across the country.

A total of 82,506 identity cards (IDs) are lying uncollected at Huduma Centres nationwide, alongside 57,444 driving licences and 22,524 birth certificates that Kenyans have yet to pick up.

In a notice on Wednesday, Huduma Kenya confirmed that the documents had already been processed and were ready for collection in all its 59 centres across the country.

More To Read

“Your government documents are ready for collection. Visit any of our 59 Huduma Centres nationwide and pick them today,” the agency said.

It further outlined that applications for IDs and birth certificates take about two weeks to process, while a smart driving licence takes up to five days.

For Kenyans replacing lost or damaged ID cards, Huduma Kenya directed that applications be made online through the e-Citizen portal, with applicants required to pay Sh1,050. Similarly, those applying for or replacing a birth certificate must submit their requests online and upload their birth notification together with their parents’ ID numbers.

However, the agency clarified that any amendment to a birth certificate, such as correcting a misspelt letter, must be done through the Civil Registration office.

The latest update comes a week after the Director General of eCitizen Services, Isaac Ochieng, announced that the government is set to roll out digital notifications for Kenyans whose IDs are ready for collection.

Speaking during an interview on a local station, Ochieng revealed that ID applications would soon be integrated into birth registration, and once a child turns 18, their parents would automatically receive a notification that the ID is ready.

“Where we are now, if you attain the age of 18, we will notify your parents on their phone because we have their details. We will tell them that the national ID for your son or daughter is ready for collection,” Ochieng said.

He assured Kenyans that the new system would be seamless and faster since the government already has parental details captured during birth registration.

The e-Citizen platform itself has experienced massive growth since its launch in 2013 as a pilot project between the National Treasury and the World Bank.

At its inception, it offered only 10 services, but in 2022, following a directive by President William Ruto, the government accelerated the onboarding of more services to the system.

“After I was appointed Director General, we managed to onboard over 5,040 services within six months. During that time, revenue collection jumped from Sh60 million to between Sh400 million and Sh600 million per day,” Ochieng said.

Today, with more than 22,000 services available on eCitizen, the platform continues to post record growth in usage and collections.

“It is shocking. We are now collecting between Sh700 million and Sh1 billion daily. Over the last three years, the platform has collected more than Sh550 billion, that’s over half a trillion shillings in just 36 months,” he said.