Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen has unveiled key reforms in civil registration aimed at making identity access simpler and more affordable for residents of Siaya County and beyond.

Speaking during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Siaya County on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Murkomen said the government is taking deliberate steps to expand services and eliminate barriers that have long hindered citizens from obtaining vital documents.

“As part of our Jukwaa la Usalama tour of Siaya County, I assessed the Mobile Registration Outreach Programme at the County Commissioner’s office,” he said.

He pointed out that while national identity card registration services are available across all sub-counties, there remains a gap in access to birth and death certificates. “National ID registration offices are operational in all the sub-counties, and the coverage is good. There’s, however, a need to open more registries in the county to enhance registration for birth and death certificates,” Murkomen noted.

To address this gap, Murkomen announced concrete steps to expand services within the county. “Before the end of the year, we will open two additional registries for the issuance of birth and death certificates, as there are currently only four operational registries in the county,” he explained.

He went further to announce a policy shift that will ease the financial burden on citizens applying for key documents.

“As we announced yesterday during Identity Day 2025, the Civil Registration Services will no longer charge any authentication fees for birth certificates when applying for national identity cards or passports. This step removes an unnecessary financial barrier and aligns with our vision of simplifying identity access,” Murkomen declared.

The Interior CS also disclosed that his ministry is looking into ways of lowering costs associated with registration. “We are also reviewing the fees charged for registration for birth and death certificates with a view to making them more affordable,” he said.

Through these reforms, Murkomen emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring that ordinary citizens, particularly in counties like Siaya, can access crucial documents without unnecessary delays or prohibitive costs.

By scrapping authentication fees and expanding registry offices, Murkomen said the ministry is working towards a citizen-centred system that guarantees inclusivity and strengthens national documentation services.