How to apply for a Kenyan Identity Card.

The Kenya Identity Card is the main and legal identification document recognized in Kenya. The Kenya National Identity Card – Kenya ID is crucial to citizenship in Kenya and somehow determines the extent to which an individual enjoys his/ her fundamental rights and freedoms within our borders. For Kenyan citizens, applying for a national Identity Card is quite easy. However, without the needed documents, the application process can be quite hectic. The process and the documents needed to make the whole process easy and successful are as described below:

 

  • The applicant must produce their original birth certificate and a copy of the same.
  • The applicant should also produce their school leaving certificate.
  • The applicant is also required to produce original national identity cards of both parents.
  • A photocopy of each of the documents is also needed
  • The applicant should go to the office of the District Officer to get a form with which they apply for the national identity card.
  • The applicant should then fill out the details on the form that concerns them without any errors. They should then take the form to the assistant chief or the chief for signing.
  • When this is done, the form should be taken to the office of the District officer where the details on the filled form are scrutinized and verified. The District officer then appends a signature to the form. If the form passes this stage, finger prints and a passport size photograph of the applicant are taken to be sent together with the form to the relevant offices mandated with the creation of the national identity cards.
  • The applicant is then issued with a waiting card with which they can use as the national identity card as they wait for their national identity card to be processed. The waiting period may last up to one month.
  • When the time has elapsed, the applicant should then go the office of the District officer to collect their national identity card.

 

Information contained in the Kenya National Identity Card

The Registration of Persons Act gives the Principle Registrar powers to establish a register of all persons in Kenya that will contain the following information for each person:

  1. Registration number
  2. Name in full
  3. Sex
  4. Declared tribe or race
  5. Date of birth or apparent age, and place of birth
  6. Occupation, trade or employment
  7. Place of residence and postal address
  8. Finger and thumb impressions, and in case of missing fingers and thumbs, palm or toe and toe impressions
  9. Date of registration
  10. Any other particulars as may be prescribed

A SAMPLE OF THE KENYAN IDENTITY CARD