Turning 18 in Kenya: what to do
The Government services most people need in the year they turn 18, in the order that usually works best. Start with your ID: most of the others ask for it.
Your checklist. Tick things off as you go; it's saved on this phone only.
- 1. First, because most other services ask for your ID. Get your first national ID (from age 18) Once you're 18, go in person to your nearest National Registration Bureau office (usually at the County Commissioner's office or chief's camp) with your birth certificate and a parent's ID. First-time registration is listed as free.
- 2. Most Government services are applied for on eCitizen. Create an eCitizen account Go to www.ecitizen.go.ke, pick the Kenyan citizen account, enter your ID number and first name as on your ID, then set your email and password. Click the activation link sent to your email and confirm your phone with the code sent by SMS.
- 3. Needed for jobs, bank accounts and many applications. Register for a KRA PIN Apply for your KRA PIN online on iTax. You need your national ID details, plus your employer's PIN if you're employed.
- 4. Register once you have your ID. Register as a voter, transfer or check your registration (IEBC) Take your original ID or valid Kenyan passport to any IEBC constituency office, Huduma Centre or the IEBC Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers, Nairobi, and fill Form A. To move your vote, go to the constituency office where you want to vote. Check your details anytime on verify.iebc.or.ke.
- 5. Health cover in your own name. Register for SHA (Social Health Authority / SHIF) Everyone living in Kenya must register with SHA. Dial *147# or register on sha.go.ke with your ID, then finish your profile on afyayangu.go.ke. Contributions are 2.75% of your income, at least KSh 300 a month.
- 6. If you want to drive. Get your first driving licence Get a provisional licence on the NTSA portal (KSh 650), learn at a licensed driving school, book and pass the NTSA driving test (KSh 650), then apply for your interim licence (KSh 750) and smart driving licence (KSh 3,050).