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{
    "id": 1558659,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1558659/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 120,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilome, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Thaddeus Nzambia",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Legal Notice No.153 of 2024 announced revised fees for registration of births as follows: 1. The registration of a birth more than six months after the date of birth increased from Ksh100 to Ksh500. 2. The registration of the name or alteration in the name of any child whose birth has previously been registered increased from Ksh40 to Ksh1,000. 3. Making a correction in a birth entry, the fee increased from Ksh40 to Ksh1000. 4. Birth certificate, the fee is Ksh200. 5. Re-registration of a birth, the fee is Ksh1000. Hon. Speaker, the surge in birth certificate fees has created an unjust barrier for countless families, transforming a fundamental right into a privilege contingent on financial means. As a mandatory legal requirement, a birth certificate serves as the cornerstone of identity without which children face exclusion from education, healthcare and social protection, perpetuating cycles of poverty and marginalisation. When such essential civil documentation becomes inaccessible due to prohibitive costs, we fail in our constitutional duty to guarantee equal dignity and opportunity for all citizens. Further, birth certificates are obtained by visiting sub-county registrars, Huduma Centres, or county Civil Registration Services (CRS) offices; a process that often requires families to travel long distances, incurring significant costs and time burdens. This challenge is even adverse in rural and underserved communities where registration centres are sparse and transportation infrastructure is limited. Hon. Speaker, it is against this background that I seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on the following: 1. Measures that the Ministry of Interior and National Administration is putting in place to abolish the increased fees to ensure that birth certificates remain affordable to all citizens. 2. Plans put in place by the Ministry to prioritise further decentralisation of registration services, expanding mobile registration units, and leveraging digital platforms like eCitizen to streamline the applications and minimise physical travel requirements. 3. Steps being taken by the Ministry to facilitate the implementation of Section 7(2) of the Children Act of 2022, which provides that every child has the right to be registered in the registrar of birth immediately after birth in accordance with the Births and Registration Act (CAP 149). I thank you, Hon. Speaker. This is the same problem Kenyan citizens had with the increased fees for identification cards. It will be very fair that…"
}