NAIROBI (BG) — The Kenyan government has eliminated the KSh 300 ($2.30) fee for first-time National ID card applicants, following a directive from President William Ruto.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen officially announced the policy change Wednesday and documented it in the Kenya Gazette Supplement.

“Today marks a historic moment as Kenyans who attain the age of 18 and above can now apply for identity cards free of charge. Following H.E. President Ruto’s declaration, I officially launched the National Mobile Registration Outreach Programme in Nakuru County today,” Murkomen said.

The initiative aims to enhance accessibility to civil documentation and promote inclusivity.

“Every citizen should be given an ID. And I want to announce while I am here in Kibra today that IDs should be issued at no cost at all and in a way that does not discriminate against any Kenyan,” Ruto said during a rally in Kibera earlier this month.

Public reactions are mixed. While some applaud the move to remove financial barriers, others see it as a long-overdue correction.