NAIROBI, Kenya – Marakwet West MP Timothy Kipchumba Toroitich has overwhelmingly thrown his weight behind the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill currently before the National Assembly.
The bill, which seeks to improve access to birth and death registration services across the country, was moved by Gilgil MP Martha Wangari.
The legislation aims to establish at least one registration office in each constituency (now proposed to be sub-county).
This amendment is intended to address the current limitations where only 143 registration offices exist nationwide, making it difficult for many Kenyans, particularly those in rural areas, to obtain vital documents like birth certificates and death certificates.
While seconding the legislation, MP Kipchumba observed that the bill seeks to give effect to Article 63 of the Constitution, which states that the state will ensure reasonable access to its services in all parts of the republic.
“We have a very vast country. Certain counties in this country are bigger than other African countries. For instance, if you compare a country like Turkana, you will realise that it is bigger than Burundi, Rwanda and Djibouti combined. So, you can imagine that from one end of a county to another is almost 800 km,” explained the MP.
Why the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill should pass
MP Kipchumba noted that if those constituencies don’t have these basic services, then the people of Kenya shall suffer from not getting basic services like these registration certificates for both birth and date.
MP Wangari termed the amendment simple, revealing that it stemmed from the last parliament around 2020.
“I brought a motion to the floor that was well supported by a majority of members. This was about civil registration services in our country. People may look at a birth certificate as a simple thing, or a death certificate for that matter, but there are people in this country accessing these documents as a mirage,” said MP Wangari.
She regretted that at the moment, Kenyans cannot register for NEMIS without a birth certificate, just to name a few vital documents.
“This is a matter of human rights and identity. We have about 400 sub-counties in this country, and these services can only be accessed in 167 sub-counties. This department falls under the Ministry of Interior, National Administration, and the State Department of Immigration and is responsible for the compulsory and immediate registration of all births and deaths that occur in Kenya,” she added.
The vocal MP insisted that there is a need to take the services closer to the people by having the proper infrastructure in place.
“All the budget committee needs to think about in terms of money first is human resources. Have the clerks and the registrars. If we have these two to start, then it goes to growing. Furniture and the rest, we can help each other through NG-CDF and other ways so that we get these critical services to the people we represent,” said the MP.
How Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo reacted to the bill
While also seconding the bill, Chairman of National Administration and Internal Security, Gabriel Tongoyo, lauded the Gilgil MP for coming up with the piece of legislation that he termed progressive and very important.
“This amendment will go a long way in ensuring that Kenyans access these crucial services with ease,” said Tongoyo, the MP for Narok West.
In the same breath, Kirinyaga County MP Njeri Maina said the bill is going to ensure that the Kenyan people get the very important services of being issued a birth certificate and other vital documents with ease.
“Kirinyaga County has only one Huduma Centre in Kirinyaga Central constituency, and we have so many people coming as far as Mwea constituency, which is vast, having East and West,” she said.
The youthful MP went on: “As we talk about the 2027 elections, let us see how we can fast-track this so that young people can get their IDs so that they can fulfil their civic duty by electing their leaders of choice.”
What the National Government Co-ordination Act of 2013 stipulates
Meanwhile, MP Kipchumba reiterated that under the National Government Co-ordination Act of 2013, the recognised national government service delivery co-ordination unit at that level is a sub-county because of its vast nature.
“Before a constituency is divided into a sub-county, the factor to be taken into account is the vastness. So, maybe this is an amendment that we need to bring so that we have it at a sub-county and not the constituency,” he added.
The lawmaker who also hailed the Jukwa La Usalama initiative by the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination regretted that there is an obsession in this country that an office is a physical unit or a physical structure.
“The mover of the motion has made it clear that even a tent with one or two officers is enough so that you don’t have an officer with a swinging chai to be able to serve our people. What our people need are services and not big offices,” explained the MP.
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