Government to issue birth, death certificates online from March 1, 2023

Government set to start issuing birth and death certificates from March 1, 2023. [File]

The Government will start issuing death and birth certificates online from March 1, 2023.

Speaking in Kajiado County on Tuesday, January 31, Immigration Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok said all registrations for the birth and deaths will be done online from the said-date.

Additionally, Bitok said newborns will be allocated unique identifiers that will act as lifetime identification cards.

"When you register, you will automatically get a number which will become your birth certificate number, your primary school number, secondary school number, KRA pin number and driver's licence," said Bitok.

It is only after a person dies that the number will be archived.

Bitok's sentiments come just days after President William Ruto said the government will register all Kenyans onto a digital platform.

Ruto, who was speaking during the observation of International Data Privacy Day, said he had directed ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo to have every Kenyan enrolled on a digital database by the end of 2023.

"I have asked the Ministry of ICT to work on a digital identity so that we can have the Huduma [Namba] thing that was never implemented [by the previous administration]," said Ruto.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta's government had planned to phase out the National Identity Cards (IDs) by replacing them with Huduma Namba cards.

Around 36 million Kenyans had registered for the number before the High Court declared the process invalid, saying the law was not followed during its roll-out.