A birth certificate has become a very important document in Kenya as it is needed for vital applications such as passports application, visas application, application for employment, national identification card or just a simple key task of enrolling your child to school or registration of final national exams such as KCPE and KCSE.
Registration of persons in Kenya is done under the office of the president in Kenya, ministry of interior and co-ordination of National Government of Kenya, immigration and registrations of persons.
A child born in Kenya should be registered immediately after birth or within the first six months. This should be done by the parents or the designated guardians. Even if a child dies at birth, it still needs to be registered.
The steps for applying for a birth certificate in Kenya include:-
1. Obtaining a form on Bishop Road at a building next to the ACK Guest House. If you are travelling by public transport you need to alight at Community and cross the road and head towards NSSF (Bishop Rd). Duly fill out and submit the form. However if your child was born at home, the Sub-Chief is authorized to register births in his location. In Nairobi all births are registered at the City Hall. You can also get birth registration services at the District Birth and Death Registries.
2. You Should have a copy of a notification from the hospital where the child was delivered from if the mother delivered from a hospital. This is usually signed by the doctor and the midwife who were present that act as witnesses that the birth occurred under their watch in Kenya.
3. If one is above 18 they should have a copy of a national identification card.
4. One is required to pay a sum of Ksh 50 to 150 if they meet the above requirements. Birth certificate application in Kenya attracts different charges depending on the current situation and need.
For a person who is applying for a birth certificate in Kenya without amendments pays Ksh 50. For amendments in Birth Certificates in Kenya and correction of the Childs name on the birth certificate in Kenya, there is usually a payment of Ksh 50. To correct the name of the parent in a birth certificate in Kenya, one pays Ksh 90. For correction of both the name of child and the name of the parent in a birth certificate in Kenya, a total of Ksh 130 is paid. For re-registration for a birth certificate in Kenya, a fee of Ksh 90 is paid. For late registration of a Birth certificate in Kenya – which is usually termed when registration is occurring six months from date of birth occurrence in Kenya, a fee of Ksh 150 is paid at the offices of birth registration in Kenya.
5. Have copies of both parent’s national identity cards.If the parents are dead one should present a copy of the death certificate.