Getting a First National ID Card

Every year, many young people in Kiambu finish school and turn eighteen in the same few months. The national identity card is the document that opens the next stage: a SIM card in their own name, an M-PESA account, a bank account, a job contract, a KRA PIN, a university or college application, a HELB loan, and a vote. A young person without one is stuck.

For most families, getting a first ID is straightforward. For young people raised by grandparents or relatives, or whose parents have died, it can stall on a missing document. This article explains what has changed recently, what to bring, and how to clear the usual obstacles before the trip to the office.

What has changed

It is free. In March 2025 the government amended the Registration of Persons Rules to remove the KSh 300 application fee for first-time applicants, replacing it with "Nil". The change was announced by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and reported by Business Today and the Kenya News Agency. Nobody should ask a first-time applicant to pay for the application itself.

It is the Maisha Card. Kenya has moved to a new digital identity system, Maisha Namba. First-time applicants are issued a Maisha Card, and the number stays with the person for life.

You can apply where you live. The Kenya News Agency reported in March 2025 that applications can be made at National Registration Bureau offices or Huduma Centres near the applicant, and quoted Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Bitok saying every Kenyan would be given an ID where they are, whichever county they come from. A young person born elsewhere but living in Ruiru does not need to travel home to apply.

A birth certificate comes first. Huduma Kenya said in September 2026, as reported by Kenyans.co.ke, that a person cannot be registered for an identity card without a birth certificate and must apply for the certificate first. The older route of using school documents, religious documents and affidavits in place of a birth certificate is no longer accepted.

What to bring

Requirements are confirmed at the registration office and can change, so check before you go. In general, expect to bring:

• The applicant's birth certificate, the original and a photocopy.
• A copy of a parent's identity card. Kenyan missions abroad, such as the Kenya High Commission in London, list a copy of a parent's ID among their first-time requirements. Expect to be asked for it at home too, and confirm with the office before you go.
• Proof the applicant has turned eighteen, which the birth certificate normally shows.
• Any school leaving certificate or school ID, which helps confirm identity.

The applicant must go in person. Fingerprints and a photograph are taken at the office.

Common obstacles, and what to do

No birth certificate. This is the most common block for young people raised outside their parents' home. Start the late registration now, not the week before the ID trip. Our step-by-step guide to late birth registration explains the form, the documents and the fee.

A parent has died. Bring a copy of the parent's death certificate along with a copy of their ID, if you can find it. If the ID is lost, a letter from the chief or assistant chief confirming who the parents were may help. Ask the registration officer what they will accept.

Parents' IDs cannot be found. Ask relatives first. If a parent is alive but far away, a clear photocopy or phone photo of their ID may be enough to start; the office will say. The area chief knows many families and their history, and can write a letter confirming who the young person is and where they live. Ask the registration office whether it will accept one.

Names do not match. If the birth certificate says one spelling and the school certificate another, the ID will follow the birth certificate. Fix any error on the birth certificate before applying for the ID, not after.

Someone asks for money. The application is free for first-time applicants. If anyone asks for a payment to "push" an application, refuse, and ask to see the officer in charge.

After applying

Keep the acknowledgement slip safe. It has the details you will need to follow up and to collect the card. Ask how you will be told the card is ready, usually by SMS. When you collect it, check the name, date of birth and other details before leaving the counter. Then photocopy the card and keep the copy separately: our guide to replacing a lost ID card shows how much harder life becomes without one.

A short checklist

• The applicant has turned eighteen.
• Original birth certificate and a photocopy, with the details checked.
• Copy of a parent's ID, and a death certificate if a parent has died.
• A chief's letter if parents' documents are missing.
• School leaving certificate or school ID, if available.
• No money paid for the application itself.
• Acknowledgement slip kept safe until the card is collected.

Where we fit

Lift A Life Foundation is a community based organisation in Ruiru, registered with the County Government of Kiambu, certificate RSC/3811/CBO/2024. We cannot issue documents or influence a registration decision. We can help a young person and their guardian work out what is missing, sort out a birth certificate first if needed, and go with them to the office. If a young person you care for is turning eighteen without the papers they need, contact us. If you would like to cover fares for these trips, you can donate.