Getting a Police Clearance Certificate will no longer take weeks after the government introduced a new system that reduces the processing period to just 24 hours, in a move aimed at improving access to one of the country's most sought-after public services.
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the changes during the launch of the ABIS version of the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS) and the handover of the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) Certificate to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' Forensic Evidence Management Unit (FEMU) at the DCI headquarters.
"The turnaround time for processing Police Clearance Certificates, which previously took up to 14 days or more, will now be reduced to just 24 hours," he said.
Murkomen said the faster processing marks another step in the government's efforts to improve public services through technology while strengthening key security institutions.
"This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to modernising our security agencies, advancing institutional reforms, and improving service delivery," he added.
He said the accreditation awarded to the Forensic Evidence Management Unit confirms that Kenya's forensic evidence handling procedures now meet internationally accepted standards.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the recognition places the country among regional leaders in forensic science while reinforcing confidence in the way forensic evidence is managed.
Murkomen also said the upgraded Multi-Biometric Identification System will improve the DCI's ability to store records and carry out fingerprint searches.
"With this landmark development, our records capacity will increase from 2 million to 10 million, while daily fingerprint searches will rise from 4,500 to 20,000," he said.
He added that the system will be introduced in all 52 Huduma Centres across the country to make the service easier for Kenyans to access.
The platform will also be connected to the National Registration Bureau, the Judiciary, the Department of Immigration Services and INTERPOL, allowing quicker identity verification, real-time intelligence sharing and better cooperation in handling cross-border investigations