Government agencies and development partners are engaging in a three-day workshop to refine the Births and Deaths Registration Bill 2025, a proposed law aimed at transforming Kenya’s civil registration system into a more efficient, technology-driven framework.
The initiative seeks to ensure that every citizen can access legal identity from birth and improve management of national population data.
The workshop, convened by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services through the Civil Registration Service (CRS), is part of ongoing reforms under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to modernise public service delivery.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen welcomed the validation process, noting that the proposed legislation is part of broader institutional reforms initiated after public consultations during the Jukwaa la Usalama forums conducted across the country.
CS Murkomen reiterated the importance of improving ministry services, explaining that feedback from these forums is shaping reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and access to government services.
The process also aligns with the President’s commitment to strengthening institutions and modernising governance systems to ensure services are delivered effectively. Digitisation and better population data management remain key priorities for planning and service provision.
Civil Registration Service Secretary Paul Mwangemi observed that the current Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap 149) relies heavily on paper-based processes, creating challenges in record management and accessibility.
“The proposed Bill seeks to introduce a modern legal framework that supports digital registration processes and the use of technology in the creation and preservation of records,” Mwangemi said on Thursday.
The Bill also addresses current social and legal developments affecting civil registration, including data protection, access to information, recognition of intersex persons, surrogacy, adoption-related re-registration of births, and handling of presumed deaths.
Additionally, the legislation proposes alignment with national policy priorities, such as establishing a national population database, issuing Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI) at birth, and consolidating the concept of legal identity, including nationality from birth.
Participants at the workshop are expected to scrutinise the draft law, validate the State Department’s proposals, and make recommendations before it goes through public consultation and eventual parliamentary consideration.
The exercise has received technical and financial support from Vital Strategies and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), who are backing efforts to strengthen civil registration and vital statistics systems in Kenya.
Once enacted, the Births and Deaths Registration Bill 2025 is expected to deliver an inclusive, modern, and technology-based civil registration system, ensuring all Kenyans are formally documented from birth while enhancing national planning and service delivery frameworks.
