Editor's Review

The High Court has blocked the government from implementing new service fees for IDs and passports.

The High Court has issued conservatory orders blocking the government from implementing new service fees for key services including Identity Cards and passports.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued the order on Thursday, November 9 following a petition filed by Nakuru-based surgeon Dr. Magare Gikenyi challenging the increase in service fees.

"A conservatory order be and is hereby issued suspending Gazette Notices No. 15239-15242 dated 6th November 2023 and/or any other document purporting to give authority to increase or review the charges/fees/levies specified therein pending the hearing and determination of this Application inter-partes," the conservatory order read.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki in a gazette notice dated November 6 announced that replacing an ID will now cost Ksh 2000, up from Ksh 100, while those applying for an ID for the first time will now pay Ksh 1000, which was previously free.

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File image of a sample of a Kenyan ID. 

The fee for changing ID details was maintained at Ksh 1000 while the fee for identification reports has been increased from Ksh 300 to Ksh 1000.

The Interior CS also announced that the fee for a standard 34-page passport from Ksh 4500 to Ksh 7500 and for a standard 50-page passport from Ksh 6000 to Ksh 9000.

The fee for an ordinary 66-page passport was hiked from Ksh 7500 to Ksh 12000 while a diplomatic 50-page document was hiked from Ksh 75000 to Ksh 15000.

The government further increased fees for replacing from Ksh 12,000 to Ksh 20,000 and for replacing a valid mutilated passport from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 20,000.