Huduma Kenya has clarified the rules governing changes to names on birth certificates, reminding parents that there is a two-year window within which a child’s name can be removed or amended.
The agency said the option to remove a name from a birth certificate is only available where the child is below two years old.
“Kindly note that removing a name from the birth certificate is only possible for a child below 2 years,” Huduma Kenya said.
The clarification came after members of the public sought information on whether they could amend names appearing on their children’s birth certificates.
According to Huduma Kenya, the provision applies where a name was captured incorrectly or an error occurred during the registration and processing of the birth certificate.
The State Department for Immigration and Citizenship Services also provides for the registration of a name or alteration of particulars in the birth register.
The service is available through Civil Registration Services, Huduma Centres and the eCitizen platform, with the fee currently listed at KSh1,000.
Parents who notice an error in their child’s name therefore have the opportunity to apply for the correction within the stipulated period.
What happens after two years?
The process becomes more complicated once the child turns two.
The clarification from Huduma Kenya refers explicitly to the deletion or amendment of the name of a child, but the laws differ based on what kind of information a parent wishes to change.
In case of a parent’s name on a child’s birth certificate, for instance, there is no way that the name can simply be deleted.
For children who are beyond the two years of age, a parent wishing to change the name is expected to undertake a different process as per law.
The parent has to have a Deed Poll drawn up by an advocate with regard to the intended name change.
Additionally, both the parents have to provide consent unless one of them is dead or an order from a court is issued.
After the name change, the name has to be published in the Kenya Gazette.
Thus, the two-year period becomes significant when parents discover an error in their child’s name upon getting a birth certificate.
Those who notice mistakes within the period can apply for the amendment through the relevant registration channels, while changes made after the period require the additional legal steps.
