Kenya
A well developed and functioning civil registration system ensures the registration of all vital events including births, marriages and deaths and issues relevant certificates as proof of such registration. Civil registration promotes efficient government planning, effective use of resources and aid, and more accurate monitoring of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Birth Registration
| Legal framework for birth registration | Constitution of Kenya (2010)
Births and Deaths Registration Act, Chapter 149 (revised edition 2012)
Both instruments provide the mandate for the Government to perform the following functions: – Registration of all births and deaths occurring in the country and of Kenyan citizens occurring abroad; – Issuance of certificates of births and certificates of deaths on demand; – Production and dissemination of statistics from the records of births and deaths; – Safe custody of all records of births and deaths. |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Department of Civil Registration Services |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register the birth of a child? | Yes |
| Is an official birth certificate issued as a result of birth registration? | Yes, the certificate is issued within 1 day of application from an existing record |
| Legal informant to register a birth | Parents, Guardian, Any person with information relating to the birth |
| Time allowed for registration | Within 3 months |
| Fee for birth registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for birth certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes |
| Other official fees involved in the birth registration process | No |
| Requirements or fees specific to children who are eligible for citizenship but were born outside the country | Yes, Kenyan children born outside the country are entitled to registration upon application; the registration is free, but the birth certificate requires a fee. |
| Requirements or fees specific to children whose parents are foreign nationals | No |
| Requirements for birth registration | Identification of the child’s mother, Date of birth of the child, Sex of child, Place of occurrence, Age of mother, Marital status of mother, Name, age and residence of the father if the mother is married, Type of birth (single, twin, triplet and so forth, Nature of birth, Usual residence of the mother, Name of informant, date and signature |
| Information collected | Regarding the child: Name, Date of birth, Sex, Weight at birth, Ethnicity, Date of registration, Place of occurrence [of the birth], Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Place of registration, Type of birth (single, twin, triplet and so forth), Attendant at birth
Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Marital status, Educational attainment, Place of usual residence, Birth order parity, Number of fetal deaths born to the mother during her entire lifetime |
| Processing | Manually (on paper); Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre, Village/community elder, head or administrator, Place of occurrence of the birth |
| A birth certificate is required for: | Education, Health care, Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | Data from the 109 offices across the country are submitted monthly to the Department of Civil Registration Services headquarters, which is responsible for monthly compilation of statistics.
While the data are compiled monthly by the Department itself, a team of stakeholders including the National Statistical Office come together annually to prepare an Annual Vital Statistics Report. The National Statistical Office (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics) is responsible for dissemination of official statistics. |
Download sample birth registration form
Download sample form for application for a birth certificate
Download sample birth certificate
Data sources: Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from December 2016 to November 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with CRVS experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and UNICEF country offices. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify this country profile; updates will be made to reflect changes in policy and implementation and/or new information.
Marriage Registration
| Legal framework for marriage registration | Marriage Act (2014) |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 18 years for both sexes
Exemptions: 16 years for both sexes with consent from parent(s) or legal guardian(s) |
| Is there a legal obligation to register marriages? | Yes |
| Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration? | Yes, upon the celebration of a marriage, the person officiating the marriage should issue a copy of the marriage certificate to the parties, retain a copy, and send a copy to the registrar (Marriage Act, section 21). |
| Legal informant to register a marriage | Licensed officer who presides over a marriage celebration issues a certificate |
| Time allowed for registration | The person officiating a marriage shall forward a copy of the marriage certificate to the registrar within 14 days (Marriage Act, section 53). |
| Fee for marriage registration | Yes |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | Yes, depending on where the marriage is celebrated, e.g., a separate venue other than the registrar office or a church, a special fee might be implemented to license the venue. |
| Fee for marriage certificate | No |
| Penalty for late registration | No |
| Other official fees involved in the marriage registration process | No |
| Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship | No |
| Requirements for marriage registration | Husband’s presence at registration, Wife’s presence at registration, Proof of wife’s age, Proof of husband’s age, Witness to the marriage, ID card |
| Information collected | Regarding the spouses: Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence, Marital status, Occupation, Father’s occupation
Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Place of occurrence of the marriage |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage | – |
| Legal framework for marriage registration | There is no provision under the Marriage Act concerning the compilation of statistics. |
Download sample marriage certificate
Data sources: Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from December 2016 to November 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with CRVS experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and UNICEF country offices. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify this country profile; updates will be made to reflect changes in policy and implementation and/or new information.
Death Registration
| Legal framework for death registration | Births and Deaths Registration Act, Chapter 149 (revised edition 2012);
The Act provides the mandate for the Government to perform the following functions: – Registration of all births and deaths occurring in the country and of Kenyan citizens occurring abroad; – Issuance of certificates of births and certificates of deaths on demand; – production and dissemination of statistics from the records of births and deaths; – Safe custody of all records of births and deaths. |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Department of Civil Registration Services |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register deaths? | Yes |
| Is an official death certificate issued as a result of death registration? | A notification of death (death register) is signed by a medical practitioner or community registration agent (assistant chief) who then forwards the notification to the registrar. A death certificate is issued upon application by an applicant; the certificate is then prepared from an existing register. |
| Legal informant to register a death | Next of kin, Medical official if the death occurred in a hospital |
| Time allowed for registration | 6 months |
| Fee for death registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for death certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes |
| Other official fees involved in the death registration process | No |
| Registration requirements or fees specific for the deaths of people who were residents in the country and also of foreign nationality | No |
| Requirements for death registration | Identification card (name of deceased), Date of death, Age at death, Sex of deceased, Place of occurrence, Usual residence of deceased, Cause of death, Name, title and signature of informant and the date of reporting, Signature and date of registration |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Marital status, Place of usual residence, Occupation, Level of education, Occupation, Nationality
Regarding the death: Date of death, Place of occurrence of the death, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Date of registration, Place of registration, Cause of death, Certifier |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | Date of occurrence of fetal delivery, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Sex of the fetus, Date of birth or age of the mother, Fetal deaths to the mother during her entire lifetime, Place of usual residence of the mother |
| Processing | Manually (on paper); Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre, Village/commune elder, head or administrator, Place of occurrence of the death |
| A death certificate is required for: | Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance, Identification of orphans, Insurance and pension claims |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths | Data from the 109 offices across the country are submitted monthly to the Department of Civil Registration Services headquarters, which is responsible for monthly compilation of statistics.
While the data are compiled monthly by the Department itself, a team of stakeholders including the National Statistical Office come together annually to prepare an Annual Vital Statistics Report. The National Statistical Office (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics) is responsible for dissemination of official statistics. |
Download sample death registration form
Data sources: Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from December 2016 to November 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with CRVS experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and UNICEF country offices. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify this country profile; updates will be made to reflect changes in policy and implementation and/or new information.