By Seliphar Machoni
Amidst Kenya’s struggling economy, the government has imposed additional financial burdens on its already stretched citizens.
One of these burdens entails revised fees for various services such as passports, IDs, birth and death certificates, and work permit applications.
These new charges will now range from double to ten times or more of the previous costs.
These fees implementation will commence on 1 March 2024, following a public engagement exercise conducted between 14 November 2023 and 5 December 2023.
The Ministry of Home Affairs director clarified that the effective date for these charges, initially slated for 1 January 2024, was postponed to allow public participation.
The announcement memo was circulated to various government officials, including section heads, regional coordinators, national registrars, district coordinators, and sub-district registrars.
The Home Affairs CS, Kithure Kindiki, published the new rates in a gazette notification numbered 241 on 14 November 2023, which reviewed all services provided by the Immigration Department and increased their costs.
For instance, a new birth or death certificate will now cost Sh200, up from Sh50. Similarly, late birth registration or death certificate will now cost Sh500, a significant increase from Sh50. Amendment fees for both certificates have also risen from Sh870 to Sh1,000.
For foreign registration of births and deaths at Kenya missions abroad, the cost will be US$150, up from US$50.
Replacing an ID card now costs Sh1,000, previously Sh100. The fee for changing details on an ID card remains the same at Sh1,000.
The cost of applying for a standard 34-page passport has increased from Sh4,500 to Sh7,500.
According to the new rates, a 50-page ordinary passport will now cost Sh9,500, up from Sh6,000, while a 66-page ordinary passport will cost Sh12,500, up from Sh7,500.
The cost of a 50-page diplomatic passport has doubled to Sh15,000, while a 34-page service passport remains at Sh6,000.
Replacing a lost passport will now cost Sh20,000, up from Sh12,000, and replacing a mutilated passport will double from Sh10,000 to Sh20,000.
The price of an express passport is Sh30,000. Consequently, a single-entry visa now costs $100, and a multiple-entry visa costs $500.
Legal residents with spouses and children will pay Sh800,000 to be processed and issued permanent residence permits. Foreign spouses of Kenyans will have to pay Sh50,000 to become permanent residents.
Becoming a Kenyan citizen is now priced at Sh50,000 for East Africans and Sh100,000 for non-East Africans.
Identity report fees have increased from Sh300 to Sh700, while civil servants’ cards now cost Sh900, formerly Sh100. Civil servants will also have to pay Sh1,000 for their identity cards, up from Sh350.
Citizenship processing fees are now Sh20,000, declaration of dual citizenship costs Sh10,000, and obtaining citizenship costs Sh50,000, up from Sh5,000.
