Government scraps Sh300 application fee for ID cards

The government has officially gazetted the removal of the Sh300 application fee for national identity cards.

This decision was made through a Gazette notice dated Wednesday, March 19,2025 where Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the change, which amends the Registration of Persons Act to eliminate the fee previously required for the important document.

This follows a directive from President William Ruto, who announced that ID cards would now be issued free of charge.

“I want to announce here in Kibra today that IDs will now be issued free of charge,” Ruto declared last week in Kibra, Nairobi.

The scrapping of the fee reverses an earlier increase that raised the cost for first-time applicants from Sh100 to Sh300 in 2024.

The government had justified the increase as necessary to cover administrative expenses.

However, the new policy addresses widespread public concerns, especially from 18-year-olds who struggled to afford the fee.

The opposition had also pressured the government to abolish the charges, calling them an obstacle for many citizens seeking their IDs.

The decision follows another significant change announced earlier this month, where President Ruto also removed the vetting requirement for ID applicants in the Northeastern region, a process that had been criticized for being discriminatory.

In January 2024, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, now Deputy President, introduced the Sh300 fee after initially proposing a Sh1,000 charge.

The government later adjusted the fee to Sh300 following public backlash and promised to cover costs for those who could not afford to pay.

With the gazettement, all Kenyans aged 18 and above will now be able to acquire their national ID cards free of charge.