Kenyans invited to submit views on proposed ID, passport charges.

The Ministry of the Interior and National Administration has issued an invitation for public participation on the proposed new immigration and civil services charges that will come into effect on January 1, 2024.

In a public announcement on Monday, Immigration Secretary Julius Bitok announced that participants will be allowed to make their suggestions and submit them in writing through a museum clearly labeled ‘Public Participation on New Payments’.

National identification cards which have not been collected in Mombasa Huduma centre/FILE

Submissions can be made at Nyayo House, Ground Floor in Nairobi, offices of Regional Heads, County Commissioners, or Deputy County Commissioners.

Participants can also email their submissions to info.ctizenservices@interior.go.ke before 8 December 2023, 5pm.

This comes a week after the government canceled the Gazette Announcement issued on November 7, 2023, which announced an increase in fees for some services including passports, identification, work permits, birth and death certificate applications to allow citizens’ participation in the matter that.

Following the removal of the Gazette Notice, Home Affairs Minister Kithure Kindiki announced new payments intended for the same services.

The government had intended to increase the fee for sending ID applications for the first time to Ksh.1,000 but now it has revised the cost down to Ksh.300.

The fee for replacing lost IDs has also been revised to Ksh.1,000 instead of the intended Ksh.2,000.

The fee for sending a normal 34-page passport has been set at Ksh.7,500 from the current Ksh.4,500.

A standard 50-page passport will also cost Ksh.9,500 from the existing Ksh.6,000 while the application fee for a standard 66-page passport will increase by Ksh.5,000 to cost Ksh.12,500.

New birth certificate applications will also cost Ksh.200 from Ksh.50. Application fees for death certificates have also quadrupled to Ksh.200.

The High Court had stayed the quashed notice and another petition challenging the amendment of charges filed on Tuesday.

Amid mixed feelings from Kenyans, the Ministry of Interior said that the revised payment is based on the increase in the cost of relevant services over the years and the need to make the provision of these services self-supporting.

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