From 14 days to 24 hours: How new police clearance certificate system could change lives
By Sharon Atieno, July 25, 2026For years, obtaining a Police Clearance Certificate, commonly known as a Certificate of Good Conduct, has been a test of patience for many Kenyans.
The process often meant applying online, travelling to a DCI office or Huduma Centre, having fingerprints captured manually and then waiting days or even weeks for the final document.
That is now changing
The launch of the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS) – ABIS Version 5 by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) marks an important shift in how Kenyans access one of the country’s most sought-after government documents.
The system has reduced the processing time for police clearance certificates from up to 14 days to 24 hours, with the new technology being rolled out across Huduma Centres.
For a Kenyan who has just secured a job but needs a Certificate of Good Conduct before reporting, the difference between waiting two weeks and receiving the document within a day is enormous.
For another seeking admission to a foreign university, applying for a visa or meeting an employment deadline, the change could mean the difference between an opportunity delayed and one seized.
A certificate that opens doors
The Police Clearance Certificate is not just another government document.
It is required by employers, learning institutions, foreign missions and government agencies as proof of an individual’s criminal record status.
This means delays in obtaining it can have real consequences.
A job offer can be put on hold. A travel application can be delayed. A student can miss a deadline. A business opportunity can be affected.
Reducing the processing time to 24 hours therefore represents more than administrative convenience. It is a recognition that government services must move at the speed of citizens’ lives.
From ink to fingerprints
The biggest change is in the technology behind the process.
Under the previous system, applicants had their fingerprints captured manually using ink before the information was processed.
The MBIS-ABIS Version 5 system replaces that process with electronic biometric capture, allowing fingerprints to be matched against records in the DCI’s central database more quickly.
This is where the system’s importance goes beyond faster certificates.
The same technology that can help a Kenyan obtain a document within 24 hours can also make it harder for criminals to hide behind false identities.
The system is expected to help detect attempts to obtain certificates using different names, identify repeat offenders and allow investigators to compare fingerprints recovered from crime scenes with existing records more efficiently.
The DCI processes about one million Certificates of Good Conduct annually. At that scale, improving both speed and accuracy is not a minor administrative reform.
The promise of digital policing
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has described the rollout as part of the modernisation of security agencies and the wider digitisation of public services.
“We are modernising our security agencies to improve service delivery and meet the evolving needs of Kenyans,” Murkomen said.
He added that linking the biometric system to other key institutions would enable faster identity verification and real-time intelligence sharing.
“Linking this system to other key institutions will enable faster identity verification, real-time intelligence sharing, significantly boosting our war on crime and ensuring stronger cross-border security cooperation,” he said.
Speed must come with safeguards
The promise is clear: shorter queues, faster certificates, stronger identity verification and more efficient investigations.
A fingerprint is not a password that can simply be changed if compromised.
The success of the new system should therefore not be measured only by how quickly a certificate is issued.
It should also be measured by whether the system delivers accuracy, protects privacy and improves justice.
From 14 days to 24 hours, Kenya has taken a significant step towards faster public services.