Ruto Gives New Orders On ID Payments
President William Ruto has stated that all Kenyans will obtain free national identification documents (IDs).
This is a shift from the first government mandate, which required Kenyans to pay Ksh300 for new applications and Ksh1,000 for renewal.
On Thursday, during his final day of a four-day working trip around Nairobi County in Ayany, Kibra, the president stated that all government registration bureaus must follow the mandate.
Furthermore, the president mandated that no Kenyan be exposed to any type of discriminatory questioning based on their background throughout the application process for critical papers.
“I have said that matters of ID be issued without any discrimination. Every citizen should be given an ID card without discrimination,” Ruto asserted.
“I want to announce here at Kibra that IDs should be issued without any payments and with a plan that is free from any sort of discrimination,” he ordered.
President Ruto removes charges for IDs while in Kibra pic.twitter.com/AsHYe4IeOS
— Kenyans.co.ke (@Kenyans) March 13, 2025
Ruto issued the command in response to an original appeal made to him at the protest by Kibra MP Mwalimu Peter Orero.
The MP had asked him to address the situation of thousands of Nubian community members who were unable to obtain the passport due to strict restrictions.
The MP asked the President to issue the directive and then order its gazettement, following a similar order he issued on ID applications in the porous North Eastern area.
However, the instruction is expected to generate mixed reactions from the public and leaders who have previously expressed worries about Ruto’s ‘roadside policy statements.’
ALSO READ:
- Rogue Motorist Harasses Female Police Officer, NPS Issues Statement
- KRA Clarifies Tracking Kenyans’ Phone Transactions, Lists Targets
- Over 50 Police Recruits Discontinued From Training At Kiganjo
- REVEALED: Countries Exploiting Kenyans With Fraudulent Recruitment [LIST]
- NTSA Issues New Data On Driving Licenses, Urges Applicants To Track Progress
Kenyans have previously expressed worry over ID card charges, citing the government’s reduction in application and renewal fees.
Politicians, including People’s Liberation Party of Kenya leader Martha Karua, have previously criticised the government over the charges.
Karua stated that it was a conspiracy to prevent thousands of unemployed kids from voting in the 2027 election.
In May 2024, the then-Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki gazetted the updated tariffs, which required Kenyans to pay Ksh300 for new applications and Ksh1,000 for renewals.
Ruto Gives New Orders On ID Payments
