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Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu Wednesday apologized over the release of a Gazette Notice which showed that fees for the processing of permanent residences for children of Kenyan citizens born outside the country had increased.
The notice said the fee had increased to Sh1 million.
The notice, which triggered a heated public debate, reported that fees for the processing of permanent residences for children of Kenyan citizens born outside Kenya had doubled to Sh200,000 while the fees for the issuance of permanent residences for the same children had increased to Sh1 million from Sh500,000.
In a statement on social media platform X, Njogu clarified that the quoted amounts were erroneously keyed in while noting that she has since raised the issue with Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok who she said confirmed the same.
She added that the amounts apply to children of foreigners seeking permanent residences and not Kenyans.
“Further to my last tweet, I have engaged with Immigration PS Julius Bitok. He has assured me that the Permanent Residence fees for children of Kenyan citizens were entered in error,” said the PS.
“This fee applies to children of foreigners seeking PR. As I had explained, children of a citizen acquire citizenship by birth.”
Njogu said the requirement would have been unconstitutional since Article 14 (1) of the Kenyan Constitution stipulates that “A person is a citizen by birth if on the day of the person’s birth, whether or not the person is born in Kenya, either the mother or father of the person is a citizen.”
She added measures to rectify the misleading error have already been taken.
“Apologies for the mistake that has caused so much anxiety,” she said.
The government increased various charges in a move that angered many on social media.
For instance, new passport charges include 34 pages to cost Sh7,500 from Sh4,500, 50 pages to Sh9,500 from 6,000 and 66 pages to Sh12,500 from Sh7,500.
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