The Ministry of Interior and National Administration is now seeking for public participation on the intended review of new levies for immigration and citizen services which are set to take effect on January 1, 2024.
In a public notice on Monday, Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok announced the participants will be allowed to make their proposals and submit them in writing through memoranda clearly marked ‘Public Participation on New Charges’.
The submissions can be delivered at Nyayo House, Ground floor in Nairobi, offices belonging to Regional Commissioners, County Commissioners, or Deputy County Commissioners.
Participants can also email their submissions to info.ctizenservices@interior.go.ke on or before December 8, 2023, at 5 pm.
This comes a week after the government revoked a Gazette Notice issued on November 7, 2023, that announced an increase in charges for some services including passport, ID, work permits, birth and death certificate applications to allow for public participation on the matter.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki gazzeted new charges. .
The government had intended to increase the fee for first-time ID applications to Sh1,000 but has now reviewed the cost downward to Sh300.
The fee for replacement of lost IDs has also been reviewed to Sh1,000 instead of the intended Sh2,000.
The fee for application of the standard 34-page passport has been set at Sh7,500 from the current Sh4,500.
A 50-page ordinary passport will also cost applicants Sh9,500 from the existing Sh6,000 while the application fee for a 66-page ordinary passport will rise by Sh5,000 to cost Sh12,500.
Also Read: Over 22,000 Passports Collected, 65,000 Uncollected, Kindiki Says
New birth certificate applications will also cost Sh200 from Sh50.
Application fees for death certificates have also quadrupled to Sh200.
The High Court had suspended the revoked notice with yet another petition against the revision of the charges filed last Tuesday.
The Ministry argued that the revised charges are informed by the increase in the cost of respective services over the years and the need to make the rendering of the services self-sustaining.
The issue has caused uproar among many Kenyans.
