The government has cancelled 900 birth certificates and is demanding their immediate return due to an error at the Mutomo Registration Office. According to the notice, the birth certificates are missing.

The State Department of Immigration Services issued the directive on Tuesday, October 15, through the government’s MyGov publication, citing the invalidation of the certificates as a necessary step following the mishap. 

The affected birth certificates fall within specific serial number ranges: 1502001-1502100, 1502101-1502200, 1502201-1502300, 1502301-1502400, 1502401-1502500, 1502501-1502600, 1502601-1502700, 1502701-1502800, and 1502801-1502900.

The State is urging anyone in possession of these documents to return them to the Civil Registration Services at Hass Plaza, Nairobi, for proper disposal. This comes barely a month after the government announced the loss of nearly 400 title deeds.

Paul Mwangemi, Acting Secretary of Civil Registration Services, called on affected individuals to take swift action, emphasising that holding on to the invalid certificates would render them unusable. This directive arrives amid heightened scrutiny over the processing and collection of official documents in the country.

“Any person(s) who may have been issued with any Certificate bearing any of the above serial numbers is advised to return it/them to the Secretary, Civil Registration Services, 4th floor, Hass Plaza Lower Hill,” stated the notice.

The cancellation of the 900 birth certificates follows hot on the heels of another recent blunder involving title deeds. On September 27, the Office of the Head of Public Service disclosed in a gazette notice that 366 title deeds were reported missing, affecting documents with serial numbers 5253001 to 5253367.

"It is notified for the general information of the public that Title Deeds bearing serial numbers listed herein are reported lost (5253001—5253367)" read part of the gazette notice.

Despite acknowledging the loss, the government distanced itself from any responsibility, making it clear that it would not bear liability for any unauthorised transactions that may have occurred as a result. The authorities treated the missing title deeds as invalid, stripping them of any legal standing or effect.

Government Printer Abdi Hassan confirmed that the incident rendered the affected title deeds null and void, though no clear explanation was offered for their disappearance. The lack of transparency has further fuelled concerns over how such crucial documents could go missing without a trace.

The latest revelation follows concerns over a backlog of uncollected national identification cards and other essential documents, with Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi highlighting the issue last week.

At least 180,000 identity cards, 47,000 driving licences, and 54,000 birth certificates are gathering dust at Huduma Centres across the nation, despite Kenyans expressing frustration over prolonged waiting periods for these critical documents.