Kenyan authorities walked back steep fee hikes for citizenship documents for children of Kenyans born abroad following an outcry on social media.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu said on Twitter that the Permanent Residence fees for children of Kenyan citizens born outside the country were entered in error in a government gazette notice. She said measures to rectify the notice have already been taken.
“As per the Constitution, a child whose mother or father is a Kenyan Citizen, is a citizen by birth. They do not need to apply for permanent residency,” Njogu tweeted.
The gazette notice had raised the permanent residence fee for children of Kenyan citizens born outside Kenya to KES 1 million and an issuance fee of KES 200,000.
“Apologies for the mistake that has caused so much anxiety,” Njogu said.
Other significant fee hikes on nationality and immigration services remain in effect.
Passport application fees saw large increases. The cost of a standard 34-page passport rose to KES 7,500 from KES 4,500 previously. A 50-page passport now costs KES 9,500, up from KES 6,500, while the 66-page version increased to KES 12,000 from KES 7,500.
Replacing a lost passport jumped to KES 20,000 from KES 12,000. Replacing a mutilated passport now costs KES 20,000, up from KES 10,000. The express passport option is KES 30,00.
National ID card fees also changed. New registrations remain KES 1,000, but replacing a lost ID card now costs KES 2,000, increased from KES 100.
Declaring dual citizenship is now KES 10,000. Declaring Kenyan citizenship by marriage rose to KES 100,000 from KES 30,000.
Other revised fees include business visit visas increased to $1,000 and children of Kenyan citizens’ visa fees now $200.
