Shortage of booklets delays birth certificates across Kenya
According to the KNBS report, Nairobi issued the highest number of birth certificates at 152,433, followed by Kiambu with 67,632 and Kilifi at 62,352.
The number of birth certificates issued to Kenyans last year dropped sharply, with only 1.35 million documents released—a 30.8 percent decline blamed on a shortage of printing booklets.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reveals that just 601,562 birth certificates were issued in 2024, compared to 1.95 million in 2023.
“This decline is largely attributed to inadequate supply of birth certificate booklets,” the bureau stated in its latest Kenya Vital Statistics Report.
The shortage has left hundreds of thousands of applicants stranded, unable to access this essential document. A birth certificate serves as legal proof of age, especially for children, and is required to access various public services including education, healthcare, and social protection programmes. It also plays a crucial role in safeguarding children from abuses such as trafficking, child labour, and early marriage.
In the education sector, learners need a birth certificate to be assigned an examination assessment number. This number is required before they can be issued a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI), which they use throughout their academic journey.
Despite its importance, Kenyan law does not consider a birth certificate as evidence of citizenship. Instead, nationality is determined by possession of a national identity card.
According to the KNBS report, Nairobi issued the highest number of birth certificates at 152,433, followed by Kiambu with 67,632 and Kilifi at 62,352. Samburu registered the lowest number at 6,230, with Lamu and Isiolo close behind at 6,845 and 9,378 respectively.
The drop in issuances happened in the same year Kenya recorded a 6.9 percent fall in the number of live births, from 1.19 million in 2023 to 1.11 million. Stillbirths also decreased to 9,864 from 11,600.
The situation was made worse by a break-in at the Mutomo civil registration office in Kitui County, where 900 birth certificates, registration booklets and equipment were stolen. The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services later declared the stolen certificates invalid to prevent their misuse.
