Kenyans will no longer have to pay to obtain national identity cards after President William Ruto declared that ID issuance should be free for all citizens. Speaking in Kibra, Nairobi, on Thursday during his ongoing tour, Ruto emphasized the need to eliminate discrimination and bureaucracy in the ID application process.

“Nimesema maneno ya ubaguzi kwa mambo ya ID tuyatupilie mbali. Kila mwananchi apatiwe ID. Natangaza nikiwa hapa Kibra ya kwamba kitambulisho ipatianwe bila malipo yoyote. Kila mtu apatiwe kitambulisho bila malipo na kwa mpango ambao hauna ubanguzi kwa Wakenya,” he stated.

Previously, Kenyans were required to pay Ksh.300 for a first-time ID application, while lost IDs attracted a replacement fee of Ksh.1,000. The government had initially proposed hiking the charges to Ksh.1,000 for first-time applicants and Ksh.2,000 for replacements, sparking public outcry. However, following public backlash, the planned fee increment was revised before eventually being scrapped entirely by Ruto’s latest directive.

This move is expected to ease access to identification documents, particularly for young people and marginalized communities who often struggle to afford the charges. Ruto assured Kenyans that the process will now be straightforward and free from any form of bias.