Parliament moves to end decades-long registration nightmare

The National Assembly has passed legislation that will establish at least one birth and death registration office in every constituency, ending a system that has forced millions of

Kenyans to travel long distances for vital documents.

Lawmakers adopted the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024 on Tuesday, November 19, 2025, in a move that will expand the country's registration network from

143 offices to 290.

The reform targets rural families, pastoralist communities and people in informal settlements who have struggled to access birth certificates and death records needed for

education, healthcare, employment and inheritance rights.

"We cannot talk about equality, dignity or opportunity when a child in a remote village must wait months or travel kilometres to be recognised by the State. This amendment honours

the spirit of Article 6(3) of our Constitution, which guarantees every Kenyan the right to be registered as a citizen," said Gilgil MP Martha Wangari, who sponsored the Bill.

School-going children have faced particular difficulties, with delays in obtaining birth certificates blocking enrollment, examinations and scholarship applications.

Families have relied on intermediaries or travelled to county headquarters to obtain documents, often at considerable cost.

The decentralised system will enable the government to collect timely data on births and deaths for healthcare planning, population management and resource allocation.

"Improved data means better decisions. Without accurate records, we cannot plan effectively for schools, hospitals or social protection. This Bill helps close that gap," noted

Wangari.

The MP described the reform as overdue, saying it will bridge decades-old inequalities in access to civil documentation.

"This Bill is about restoring fairness. It ensures no Kenyan is invisible," observed Wangari.

The amendment now awaits presidential assent to become law.