Kilifi County will issue over 20, 000 birth certificates in the next 30 days under the government’s Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) that will also see the registration of all new applications at no cost.
The County has had over 70, 000 pending applications for the past three years due to logistical challenges from the government printer amid hue and cry from members of the public who needed the documents to have their children enrolled for KCPE and KCSE examinations.
Launching the exercise after a meeting with Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs and their Assistants outside the County Commissioner’s office, Area County Commissioner (CC), Magu Mutindika told the administrators to be submitting returns of issued certificates and new applications every week to ensure they met their targets within the period.
He told them to collect all the certificates for distribution within their areas of jurisdiction so that they get to the beneficiaries immediately as they also work with speed in recommending those applying for new ones noting that during the period, the documents would be issued free of charge.
“We want to avoid similar problems of overcrowded members of the public for birth certificates in the future. This success will be possible if all the children born in the remote areas are given notification by you at birth,” he said.
The County Registrar of Births and Deaths, Joseph Mutuli revealed that the government is in the process of recruiting clerks in October to facilitate computerization of birth and death certificates for easy delivery of services.
He said the books of certificates would be received regularly from the headquarters unlike before to avoid shortage of the books as was experienced in the past few years.
Kilifi County required 73, 500 certificates to clear the backlog of applications with Ganze, Kilifi north and south having 50, 000 pending applications, Malindi and Magarini with 20, 000 and Kaloleni and Rabai with 3, 500 cases.
The certificates which have been received for issuance, include 15, 000 for Ganze, Kilifi north and south, 5, 000 for Malindi and Magarini and 3, 500 for Kaloleni and Rabai respectively.
By Harrison Yeri
