The Kenyan government is making strides in modernizing the birth and death registration process. Come March 2023, access to birth and death certificates will be possible through online e-citizen services. In addition, a new system will be introduced that incorporates a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) for newborns.
Per the Immigration and Citizen Services PS, Prof. Julius Bitok, the UPI will serve as the newborn’s official identification for their entire lifetime and will be utilized for various registrations and transactions, including admission into primary and secondary schools. The UPI is intended to supplement the previously established Huduma Namba but to simplify the registration process and eliminate the need for multiple identification numbers.
Currently, the rate of registered births and deaths in the country stands at 86% and 55%, respectively. The government hopes that implementing the UPI system will increase these numbers, particularly among nomadic and pastoral communities where birth and death registration has proven challenging.
For instance, in Kajiado County, birth and death registration statistics stand at 85% and 31%. The new Civil Registration Services (CSR) office in Ngong is expected to offer a more convenient option for residents to access birth and death registration and certification. Particularly for the over 300,000 residents of the Kajiado North constituency who previously had to travel to either Nairobi or Kajiado town.
Area MP Onesmus Ngogoyo has called on residents to take advantage of the new office and the proposed UPI to register new births and deaths. The event was also attended by Environment PS Ephantus Kimotho, who encouraged residents to support the government’s tree-planting initiative.
The government’s efforts to improve the process of birth and death registration will simplify the process for citizens and provide them with a unique identifier that can be utilized for various transactions throughout their lives. This new system will provide critical demographic data and make it easier for residents to access birth and death certificates.