New births and deaths registration bill seeks recognition of intersex persons
By Faith Lagat, March 5, 2026The government has concluded a three-day validation workshop on the proposed Births and Deaths Registration Bill 2025 as part of efforts to modernise Kenya’s civil registration system and improve access to legal identity.
The workshop organised by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services through the Civil Registration Service (CRS) on March 5, 2026, focused on reviewing and refining the draft law before it proceeds to public participation and legislative consideration.
Civil Registration Service Secretary Paul Mwangemi said the existing Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap 149) relies largely on a paper-based system that presents challenges in record management and service accessibility.
“The current Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap 149) is outdated and largely based on a paper-driven system, which poses operational challenges in record management and service accessibility,” Mwangemi said.
“The proposed Bill seeks to introduce a modern legal framework that supports digital registration processes, enhances data protection, and improves access to civil registration services nationwide.”
The proposed law also addresses emerging legal and social developments, including recognition of intersex persons, surrogacy arrangements, adoption procedures and the handling of presumed deaths.
Officials say the legislation will also align the civil registration system with new government initiatives such as the establishment of a national population database and the allocation of a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) at birth.
The reforms come weeks after President William Ruto assented to a related amendment law requiring the establishment of at least one civil registration office in each of the country’s 290 sub-counties on February 19.
Reforms to expand access
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen expressed support for the reform process, linking it to ongoing efforts to strengthen public institutions and improve service delivery.
“I express strong support for the reform process. The review of the legal framework aligns with the government’s broader agenda of strengthening public institutions to deliver efficient and inclusive services to Kenyans,” Murkomen noted.
Murkomen noted that the initiative forms part of broader reforms under President William Ruto’s administration aimed at modernising government systems and enhancing delivery of public services, adding that the signing of the bill into law was fast-tracked following requests from the public during the ministry’s Jukwaa la Usalama tour.
Murkomen also said the reforms are intended to address long-standing barriers that have prevented many Kenyans from accessing birth and death registration services.
“For far too long, access to birth and death registration services has been constrained by bureaucratic inefficiencies and limited service centres,” Murkomen said.
“These systemic challenges have significantly impeded Kenyans from timely acquisition of this essential documentation, thereby preventing them from accessing critical government services,” he added.
Murkomen has also indicated that the government is considering scrapping application fees for birth certificates in order to boost registration across the country.