Kenyans to replace lost IDs for free as Government gazettes six-month waiver on fees charged
The gazettement follows a government directive aimed at making it easier for Kenyans to obtain or update their identity documents.
The government has gazetted a six-month waiver on fees for replacing national identity cards and changing personal particulars.
The waiver, published under Legal Notice No. 175 in the Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 183 of October 31, 2025, takes effect immediately under the Registration of Persons (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
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The notice, signed by Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, provides that fees for duplicate or replacement IDs and for changing particulars shall be nil for six months from the date of commencement.
The gazettement follows a government directive aimed at making it easier for Kenyans to obtain or update their identity documents.
In a statement announcing the move, Murkomen said the decision was in line with President William Ruto’s directive to ensure that every Kenyan acquires a national identification card, describing it as a vital document for accessing government services and other opportunities.
He added that the move complements other ongoing reforms in the registration process, including free issuance of IDs to first-time applicants, abolition of extra vetting for residents of border counties, and scrapping of authentication fees for birth certificates used in ID and passport applications.
"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. I urge the public to take advantage of this waiver period to go for IDs," said Murkomen in a statement on X.
The new rules also delete the earlier provision requiring applicants to pay a Sh1,000 fee for ID replacement.
The government expects the waiver to ease the burden on citizens seeking to replace lost cards or update their information and to boost national registration compliance across the country.
"These Rules may be cited as the Registration of Persons Citation. (Amendment) Rules, 2025.Rule 9 of the Registration of Persons Rules (hereinafter referred to as the "principal Rules" is amended in subrule (4) by deleting the words 'pay a fee of one thousand shillings'."
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