NAIROBI, Kenya – Diplomats, foreign nationals and staff of international missions can now obtain Police Clearance Certificates locally following the launch of a new biometric identification system at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Diplomatic Police Unit headquarters.
The Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS) allows applicants to access police clearance services without travelling to DCI headquarters or Huduma Centres.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 14, the DCI said the launch extended its digital service to the diplomatic community as part of a nationwide rollout aimed at improving the accessibility and efficiency of Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) processing.
“The launch extends access to the digital service to the diplomatic community as part of the ongoing nationwide rollout, which is aimed at improving the efficiency and accessibility of PCC processing,” the agency said.
DCI Expands Biometric System To 26 Centres
The DCI first launched the MBIS at its headquarters on July 23, 2026, in an event presided over by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
The second phase of the rollout followed in September 2026, extending the service to 20 additional centres, primarily serving the Central Region and neighbouring areas.
The expansion brought the number of connected police clearance application centres to 26 out of the 63 planned nationwide. The network also includes six centres in Nairobi that had been connected earlier.
The second phase covered Kajiado Central, Kajiado West-Kisamis, Machakos, Thika, Kamwangi, Murang’a, Nyeri, Nyandarua-Ol Kalou, Nanyuki, Laikipia East-Makutano, Samburu-Maralal, Kerugoya, Mwea, Embu, Chuka, Marimanti, Maara, Kathwana, Meru and Isiolo.
The DCI said the ongoing expansion was intended to make police clearance services more accessible by bringing biometric application facilities closer to applicants.
New System Cuts Police Clearance Processing To One Day
The agency said the biometric system had reduced the time required to process Police Clearance Certificates from 14 days to same-day issuance.
It has also increased record-handling capacity from two million to 10 million records, while daily search capacity has risen from 4,500 to 20,000, according to the DCI.
The improvements are expected to increase processing capacity and reduce delays as more application centres are connected to the system.
Fingerprints And Facial Recognition Replace Ink-Based Processing
The MBIS integrates fingerprint, palm print and facial recognition technologies to improve identification accuracy and support forensic investigations.
It replaces traditional ink-based fingerprinting and paper-based procedures with live digital biometric capture, reducing reliance on manual processes when collecting and handling applicants’ identification records.
The DCI said the diplomatic community’s access to the system forms part of its wider effort to modernise police clearance services and improve service delivery nationwide.
