EXPLAINER: Why It Will Take Two Years To Change Names On Birth Certificates
Huduma Kenya has issued a fresh clarification on the circumstances under which Kenyans can have their names removed or changed from a birth certificate.
According to the agency, birth certificate names can be changed or removed only for children under 2 years of age.
“Kindly note that removing a name from the birth certificate is only possible for a child below 2 years,” Huduma Kenya stated.
The clarification followed queries from members of the public who sought the agency’s response regarding the amendment of a child’s name.
According to Huduma Kenya, this rule applies only when a name is captured incorrectly or an error occurs during document processing.
The clarification is consistent with guidance from the State Department for Immigration and Citizenship Services, which states that a person’s name on a birth certificate can be changed within the stipulated 2-year period.
The State Department also lists the registration of a name or alteration of particulars in the birth register as a service available through Civil Registration Services, Huduma Centres, and the eCitizen platform, with the current fee listed at Ksh1,000.
Parents seeking to amend a child’s birth certificate can therefore make the necessary application within the prescribed period.
However, the rules differ depending on the type of information a person wants to change.
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For instance, a parent’s name on a birth certificate cannot be removed from the document.
The two-year requirement is important for parents who discover an error in their child’s name after registration, as the options for making changes are more restrictive once the stipulated period has elapsed.
While a name on the document can be changed before the child turns two, further changes after that period require a different legal process.
Anyone seeking to do the changes after two years is supposed to draw up a legal Deed Poll through an advocate specifying the name change.
Both parents or legal guardians must also consent to the change unless one parent is deceased or a court order overrides the requirement.
After the changes have been made, the new name must be published in the official Kenya Gazette.
EXPLAINER: Why It Will Take Two Years To Change Names On Birth Certificates
