Ruto Makes New Announcement on ID Cards

President William Ruto has declared that Kenyans will now receive their national identification cards (IDs) for free.

This decision overturns a previous government directive that required citizens to pay Ksh300 for a new ID application and Ksh1,000 for renewals.

Speaking on Thursday during the final day of his four-day working tour in Nairobi County at Ayany in Kibra, Ruto instructed all government agencies responsible for issuing IDs to comply with this new directive.

Additionally, the president emphasized that no Kenyan should face discrimination or unnecessary questioning based on their background when applying for an ID. He made it clear that obtaining an ID should be a fair and equal process for all citizens.

“I have directed that ID cards must be issued without any form of discrimination. Every Kenyan has the right to be given an ID card without bias,” Ruto stated firmly.

He further added, “I want to announce here in Kibra that from now on, ID cards should be given to all eligible Kenyans without requiring any payments and without any kind of discrimination.”

The president’s announcement followed an appeal made to him during the rally by Kibra Member of Parliament, Mwalimu Peter Orero.

The MP had raised concerns about thousands of people, particularly from the Nubian community, who have struggled to obtain ID cards due to strict registration requirements.

Orero urged Ruto to issue a clear directive and ensure it was officially gazetted, similar to an earlier order the president had made regarding ID applications in Kenya’s North Eastern region.

However, Ruto’s declaration is expected to spark mixed reactions among leaders and the public, as he has previously been criticized for making sudden policy pronouncements without structured implementation plans.

For years, Kenyans have voiced their frustrations over ID application fees, with many arguing that such charges create unnecessary financial barriers.

Some politicians, including Martha Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party of Kenya, have accused the government of imposing ID fees as a strategy to prevent unemployed youth from obtaining IDs, which would, in turn, limit their ability to vote in the 2027 general elections.

In May 2024, the then Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, had officially gazetted the ID application charges, requiring citizens to pay Ksh300 for a new card and Ksh1,000 for renewals. However, with Ruto’s new directive, these charges have now been scrapped.

The move is expected to bring relief to many Kenyans, but it remains to be seen how the implementation will unfold and whether the government will put in place the necessary frameworks to ensure IDs are issued efficiently and fairly.

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