The Ministry of Interior and National Administration announced that the Ksh200 charge for a standard birth‑certificate application will not be reduced to the former Ksh50 rate.

Committee Chairperson Gabriel Tongoyo read the ministry’s statement to the National Assembly, noting that the higher fee remains in force despite concerns raised by members of parliament.

Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang explained that the Ksh50 fee was last reviewed in 1998 and that the current Ksh200 charge reflects the 1998 amount adjusted for inflation over the past two decades.

Kipsang added that the revised fee aligns with charges for similar documents in neighbouring countries, citing Tanzania at Ksh320 and Uganda at Ksh180 as comparable benchmarks.

The 2024 fee increase also raised costs for related services: late birth registration now costs Ksh500 (up from Ksh350), replacement of a lost certificate Ksh1,000 (up from Ksh90), and amendments Ksh1,000 (up from Ksh130).

Kipsang attributed the higher fees partly to the use of higher‑quality, more secure materials in the documents, which have increased in cost as part of the ministry’s security upgrades.

The clarification follows public calls to revert to the previous charges, prompting the ministry to reaffirm its position that no steps are being taken to restore the Ksh50 rate.