NAIROBI, Kenya – Lawyer Nelson Havi has called out President William Ruto’s administration over its decision to scrap national ID application fees, arguing that the same government had imposed the charges in the first place.
In a post on X, Havi reacted to Ruto’s announcement made during a visit to Kibra, Nairobi, on Thursday, where the president declared that Kenyans would no longer pay the Ksh.300 fee for ID applications.
Ruto also pledged to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles in the registration process, particularly for marginalized groups.
Havi, however, questioned the public’s excitement over the move, reminding Kenyans that the fees had been introduced by Ruto’s own administration.
“The fees for an ID were imposed by the Government of President William Ruto. In fact, the Gazette Notice was signed by the current Deputy President, Kindiki Kithure. And here you are in Githurai and Korogocho cheering the abolition of the fees. Kenyans must stop being stupid,” he wrote.
The fees for an ID were imposed by the Government of President William Ruto. In fact, the Gazette Notice was signed by the current Deputy President, Kindiki Kithure. And here you are in Githurai and Korogocho cheering the abolition of the fees. Kenyans must stop being stupid.
Initially, the government had proposed significantly higher charges—Ksh.1,000 for first-time applicants and Ksh.2,000 for replacements.
However, after public backlash, the fees were lowered to Ksh.300 and Ksh.1,000, respectively, before Ruto’s latest directive scrapped them entirely.
The president’s announcement follows his recent decision to abolish the vetting process for ID applicants in border counties.
The process, long criticized as discriminatory, had required members of certain communities to prove their citizenship through additional screening.
The scrapping of ID fees is expected to make national identification more accessible, particularly for young people and marginalized communities.
However, Havi’s remarks highlight the irony of the move, raising questions about the government’s initial decision to impose the charges in the first place.
