Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen in a past address. PHOTO | COURTESY

By Joseph Muia

The government has extended the waiver on fees for the replacement of national identity cards and changes to personal particulars to October 30, 2026.

In a special Gazette notice dated April 30, 2026, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen amended the Registration of Persons Rules to extend the period during which Kenyans will not be required to pay for duplicate IDs or changes to personal details.

The notice states that the waiver will now apply for the period commencing April 30, 2026 and ending October 30, 2026.

“Rule 13 of the Registration of Persons Rules is amended… by deleting the words ‘a period of six months’ and substituting therefor the expression ‘the period commencing on the 30th April, 2026 and ending on the 30th October, 2026’,” the notice reads in part.

The waiver is part of a broader government plan aimed at increasing access to identification documents, which are critical for accessing public services and participating in voter registration.

Previously, the government had introduced a six-month waiver on the Ksh.1,000 replacement fee in line with President William Ruto’s directive to ensure more Kenyans obtain IDs.

Last year, the government introduced a six-month waiver on the Ksh.1,000 replacement fee in line with President William Ruto’s directive to ensure more Kenyans obtain IDs.

At the time, when Ruto announced the waiver, he pointed out that the window would remain in effect until after the 2027 elections. 

“We will make sure no one is denied the opportunity to register as a voter because of a lack of an identification card,” he said on October 4, 2025.

According to him, the move was part of the government's plan to register at least one million Kenyans in the next 12 months. 

This also involved the acquisition of a modern machine that can print at least 15,000 ID cards daily. Citizen Digital