NAIROBI, Kenya — The Immigration Ministry has requested an additional Sh4.2 billion from Parliament to sustain the government’s rollout of free national identity cards, following President William Ruto’s directive to abolish ID charges.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the funds are essential to cushion the department against the financial impact of scrapping fees that previously supported ID production.
The PS explained that the ministry plans to issue 6 million ID cards this financial year—3 million new registrations and 3 million replacements for lost or defaced cards.
“Our projection is that we will produce three million identity cards and then replace a similar number, and we expect to spend about Sh4.2 billion,” Belio told MPs.
“The cost of the card alone is about Sh400, and when you add other expenses, it goes to about Sh700.”
He said the ministry will table the request during deliberations on Supplementary Budget I, warning that without the allocation, the free ID initiative could stall and disrupt national registration targets.
President Ruto, earlier this year, abolished the Sh300 fee for first-time applicants and suspended the Sh1,000 replacement charge until after the 2027 elections, declaring that access to national identification is a constitutional right, not a privilege.
Last financial year, the ministry printed about 2.3 million IDs, but expects demand to surge due to the upcoming election period and the scrapping of the vetting requirement—a process long criticised as discriminatory, especially in border regions.
“Most Kenyans have suffered in silence under the vetting system. Removing it gives people a new opportunity to get IDs,” Kipsang said, noting that chiefs will now handle verification instead of vetting committees.
He cited cases from Homa Bay, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Moyale, and Tiaty in Baringo County, where residents above 50 or even 70 years still lack identification cards due to past vetting hurdles.
President Ruto had earlier termed the 60-year-old vetting process unconstitutional and exclusionary, promising reforms to ensure every eligible Kenyan can access identification services without barriers.
The committee chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo heard that the proposed Sh4.2 billion will cover both card production and operational costs tied to the free issuance program.
If approved, the allocation will mark a significant step toward implementing the President’s directive, with potential long-term gains in national registration, voter access, and inclusion ahead of the 2027 polls.
