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.

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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

Download sample birth certificate

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).

Download sample marriage certificate 

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.