Kenyans will now receive their police clearance certificates within 24 hours, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen said on Thursday following the launch of a new Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS) at the DCI headquarters.
The new platform replaces the Automated Palm and Fingerprint Identification System (APFIS), significantly enhancing the DCI's forensic capabilities and improving public service delivery.
"The turnaround time for processing police clearance certificates, which previously took up to 14 days or more, will now be reduced to just 24 hours," he said.
He added that the system expands the capacity of fingerprint records from two million to 10 million, increases daily fingerprint searches from 4,500 to 20,000, and will be rolled out across all 52 Huduma Centres nationwide.
Its launch coincided with the accreditation of the DCI's Forensic Evidence Management Unit by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), a move the government says will strengthen the credibility of forensic evidence and support broader security sector reforms.
The two milestones are part of the Government's broader modernisation and institutional reforms aimed at improving service delivery and responding to the evolving needs of Kenyans.
"This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to modernising our security agencies, institutional reforms and improved service delivery," he said.
For over one hundred years, the DCI’s Forensic Fingerprint Identification Bureau has helped identify criminals.
“In 2016, he said the service introduced APFIS, which served the DCI well for its time. But no reform stands still. The demands on us have grown, and it is time for the next step, something faster and smarter. That next step is the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS). With this landmark development, our records capacity jumps from two million to 10 million,” Murkomen said.
Further, he said that the MBIS system will soon be linked with the National Registration Bureau, the Judiciary, Immigration, and INTERPOL, through the necessary legislative and policy interventions, as it is designed for seamless and secure data sharing.
“This will enable faster identity verification, real-time intelligence sharing, and more effective cross-border cooperation,” he said.
During our Jukwaa la Usalama forums, the Ministry received the same complaints over and over again about delays in the issuance of police clearance certificates, with the Ministry noting that the system provides a solution to the challenge that people lose faith when things move slowly or when they feel hidden from view.
At the same time, Murkomen said the government is soon rolling out an Integrated Command, Control and Communication (IC4) system featuring AI-powered facial recognition, biometrics and expanded CCTV coverage in all five cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret and Nyeri town.
On his part, the Inspector General Douglas Kanja described the accreditation of the DCI's Forensic Evidence Management Unit as a global seal of approval confirming that the national forensics laboratory has met and surpassed rigorous international standards in competence, quality assurance and evidence management.
“These achievements are not merely a victory for the police; they are a major win for the entire criminal justice system,” he said.
DCI boss Amin Mohamed noted that the achievements will help strengthen public confidence in the institutions entrusted with the protection of the country and administering justice.
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