According to a notice issued by Paul Mwangemi, the acting Secretary of Civil Registration Services, the missing certificates were contained in nine booklets, each holding 100 leaflets.
The serial numbers of the lost documents range from 1502001 to 1502900.
“The Department hereby cautions the general public that the said birth certificates have been cancelled, rendering them invalid,” Mwangemi stated in the notice, which was published in local newspapers on Tuesday.
He urged anyone who may have been issued with a certificate bearing one of the affected serial numbers to return it to the Civil Registration Services office at Hass Plaza, Nairobi.
The Interior Ministry did not disclose further details regarding how the certificates went missing, nor when the incident occurred, despite inquiries from the media.
The lack of clarity has raised concerns about the potential misuse of the documents, which could be exploited for fraudulent purposes.
The loss of official documents such as birth certificates raises significant security concerns, as these papers are vital for accessing various services, including school admissions, passports, and government benefits.