Kenya plans free birth certificates and Maisha Namba for newborns

The government plans to scrap charges for birth and death certificates while expanding a digital registration system that assigns children a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) from birth.

The system is expected to connect more than 7,500 public hospitals to civil registration services, allowing parents to access and print birth certificates without repeated visits to government offices.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang announced the proposed fee waiver on November 9 while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security.

He said the government was preparing a Gazette notice to remove the charges, with technical teams working towards completing the hospital-system integration within 30 days.

What parents currently pay

The announcement comes after an increase in civil registration charges under the 2024 Births and Deaths Registration Rules.

A standard birth certificate currently costs Sh200. Parents registering a birth after six months pay a Sh500 late-registration fee, with a further Sh200 for issuance of the certificate.

Amendments to birth and death certificates attract a Sh1,000 charge.

The current fee schedule also lists Sh200 for certification of a current death and Sh500 for late death registration.

The proposed waiver is expected to remove the charges associated with obtaining the documents.

However, the Gazette notice had not yet been published when Kipsang made the announcement.

The existing fees therefore remain applicable until the formal change takes effect.

How the digital system will work

The government intends to connect the Civil Registration Services system to the Ministry of Health's Hospital Management Information System.

Under the arrangement, a hospital will electronically transmit a baby's birth details to civil registration officials instead of relying entirely on parents to collect and present physical birth-notification documents.

The integration is expected to cover more than 7,500 public hospitals, with private facilities empanelled by the Social Health Authority also expected to participate.

After the birth is registered, parents will be able to access the certificate online and download or print it from wherever they are.

This could reduce the trips families currently make to hospitals, Huduma Centres and civil registration offices to complete the process.

The system has already been piloted in parts of the country.

The latest announcement is therefore largely about completing the technical integration and extending access across more health facilities.

What is Maisha Namba?

The Unique Personal Identifier, also known as Maisha Namba, is a number assigned to a person's civil registration record.

It is intended to provide a consistent identity reference from birth through adulthood and eventually death.

The framework is not entirely new.

The 2024 amendments to the Births and Deaths Registration Rules already provide for registrars to assign a unique personal identification number when a birth is entered in the register.

The same number is to be used when the person's death is registered.

Under the government's identity-management plan, the number assigned at birth will remain the person's identity reference as they grow.

At 18, it is expected to transition into the national identity number when the individual applies for an ID card and supplies the required biometric information.

A newborn will not receive a physical national ID card.

The UPI is the lifelong identifying number; the national ID application and biometric registration come later.

What parents should do now

Until the fee waiver is formally gazetted, parents should continue using the existing Civil Registration Services procedures and applicable charges.

For births in health facilities, the birth notification remains the starting document for registration.

Parents should ensure the child's details, including names and dates, are correctly captured before applying for the certificate.

The government says the digital expansion will make the process faster and reduce the cost of obtaining essential identity documents.

For families, the immediate benefit will depend on when the promised fee waiver takes effect and how quickly the electronic system reaches hospitals across the country.