Editor's Review

The Directorate of eCitizen Services has announced a planned system maintenance exercise that will temporarily affect payment services on the eCitizen platform.

The Directorate of eCitizen Services has announced a planned system maintenance exercise that will temporarily affect payment services on the eCitizen platform.

In a notice on Thursday, July 16, the Directorate of eCitizen Services has informed users that the maintenance exercise will take place on Saturday evening and continue until midnight.

"The Directorate of eCitizen Services wishes to notify all users of the eCitizen platform that there will be a scheduled system maintenance on Saturday, 18th July 2026, from 7:00 PM. to 12:00 midnight," the notice read.

According to the Directorate, the temporary interruption is intended to support an upgrade of the platform's payment infrastructure, which is aimed at improving service delivery for users.

"The maintenance is necessary to facilitate an upgrade of the Citizen payment gateway, as part of ongoing efforts to enhance service delivery on the platform," the notice added.

Read More

  1. eCitizen Warns of SMS Delays Affecting Some Mobile Users
  2. Gov’t Extends Reports Filing Deadline for Select Organizations
  3. Why Instant Traffic Fines Are Not Paid Via eCitizen – NTSA

The Directorate noted that during the maintenance period, users will not be able to access payment services on eCitizen.

"During this period, all payment services on eCitizen will be temporarily unavailable. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and thank users for their patience and understanding as we work to enhance our services," the notice concluded.

File image of President William Ruto at an eCitizen booth

Elsewhere, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has introduced a new biometric system to streamline the processing of Good Conduct Certificates.

In an update on Wednesday, July 15, DCI said the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS)-ABIS Version 5 will be rolled out on Monday, July 20.

The investigative agency described the system as a game-changing platform which will fast-track the processing of the police clearance certificates. 

"DCI is set to revolutionize how you get your Police Clearance Certificate (Certificate of Good Conduct).

"Starting Monday, July 20, 2026, we roll out the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS)-ABIS Version 5 - a game-changing platform built to fast-track processing and deliver faster, smarter service," the DCI said. 

The investigative agency added that more details of the system will be released during the launch of the new system.

Notably, the Certificate of Good Conduct is one of the most sought-after government documents in Kenya. 

Members of the public apply for the certificate via the eCitizen platform and pay a fee of Ksh1,050. 

They are then required to visit a Huduma Centre or a designated DCI office to have their fingerprints captured.

The processing of the certificate takes at least two weeks, after which an applicant receives an SMS to download the document from the eCitizen portal.