By Mumo Judah, June 22, 2026
Kenya’s Interior Ministry has announced a major digital milestone allowing citizens to download and print birth certificates directly from the eCitizen platform, marking a significant shift in the delivery of civil registration services nationwide.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen made the announcement during a strategic consultative meeting at Nyayo House with senior officials from the immigration and civil registration departments. The new directive is expected to eliminate long-standing bureaucratic delays that previously required applicants to physically visit civil registry offices or Huduma Centres to collect printed documents.
Murkomen said the reform is part of ongoing efforts to modernize government services and address public concerns raised during nationwide engagement forums under the Jukwaa la Usalama initiative.
“In response to issues raised during the Jukwaa la Usalama engagements, Kenyans can now download and print birth certificates online, a significant step towards improving accessibility and reducing the time required to obtain essential documents,” he stated.
The announcement signals one of the most significant upgrades to Kenya’s civil registration system in recent years, building on earlier digitization efforts that already allowed online applications but still required in-person collection of physical certificates. With the new system, applicants will now be able to securely access and print certified copies of their documents from any location, provided they are connected to the eCitizen portal.
Government officials say the reform is aimed at reducing congestion at civil registry offices, improving service efficiency, and cutting down processing times for essential identity documents. The move also aligns with broader state ambitions to digitize public services and reduce physical paperwork across government departments.
The Jukwaa la Usalama forums, which ran between April and October 2025 across various counties, played a key role in shaping the policy change. Citizens had repeatedly raised concerns about delays, travel costs, and inefficiencies associated with obtaining basic civil documentation despite online application systems being in place.
In addition to the birth certificate reforms, the Ministry of Interior also announced an expansion of passport processing and collection services, with new decentralised hubs set to be established in Kilifi County. The expansion is expected to ease pressure on central processing stations and bring services closer to residents in the coastal region.
The government has described the latest changes as part of a broader transformation agenda aimed at improving efficiency, accessibility, and transparency in public service delivery, particularly in critical identity management systems.
