The cost of accessing government services through eCitizen is set for a major shake-up after the National Treasury proposed new charges that could see some users pay up to Ksh100 in convenience fees.
The proposed increase is contained in the Public Finance Management (e-Citizen System Management) Regulations, 2026, introduced by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who has previously hinted at reviewing the current fee structure.
“There shall be a convenience fee charged for services offered by national or county government entities onboarded on the system,” Mbadi stated.
If approved, the new framework will replace the flat Ksh50 fee that has been charged since the platform was launched. The fee was previously declared unlawful by the High Court in April last year.
Under the revised structure, charges will now depend on the value of the service being accessed rather than a standard flat rate.
Kenyans seeking services worth more than Ksh100,000 will pay a Ksh100 fee. This category includes stamp duty, land rent, title transfers, lease extension charges, and premium payments for government land allocations.
Services valued between Ksh10,000 and Ksh99,999 will attract a Ksh70 fee. Examples include limited company registration, consulting engineer licensing, investor and business work permits for foreigners, and filing fees for major civil or commercial court cases.
This category also covers land transfer charges, medium and large county business permits, construction approval applications, development permits, and some immigration or visa services.
For services costing between Ksh500 and Ksh9,999, users will pay Ksh50. These include passport applications and renewals, smart driving licence applications, Certificates of Good Conduct, business name registration, marriage certificate applications, land searches, duplicate driving licences, driving test bookings, and several National Transport and Safety Authority services.
Meanwhile, services priced between Ksh100 and Ksh499 will attract a Ksh5 fee. These include duplicate birth certificate applications, temporary permits, small county licences, motor vehicle searches, and some Judiciary or civil registration document requests.
Services costing below Ksh100 will remain free. They include creating an eCitizen account, logging in, browsing government services, selected information searches, and certain waivers such as free ID replacement applications announced by Huduma Kenya.
The proposed changes have also drawn scrutiny from Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, even as the Treasury argues the charges are necessary to sustain the eCitizen platform and its more than 30,000 services.