The government, through Huduma Kenya, has instructed Kenyans to collect their unclaimed identification documents, including national IDs, smart driving licences, and birth certificates, from various service centres nationwide.
On Wednesday, April 1, Huduma Kenya disclosed that thousands of critical personal documents remain uncollected, raising concerns about application and processing timelines.
According to the agency, at least 152,398 national IDs, 85,550 smart driving licences, and 28,550 birth certificates are still held in government offices across the country.
“Is your Identification card, Driving licence, or Birth Certificate among these? Do not let it gather dust. Kenyans are advised to collect their documents,” Huduma Kenya stated.
These documents are crucial as they are necessary for accessing several essential services such as employment, education, and banking.
Therefore, leaving such documents uncollected not only disadvantages the applicant but also contributes to congestion and storage challenges at the Huduma Centres.
Following the announcement, Huduma Kenya urged all Kenyans who applied for an ID, driving licence, or birth certificate to visit their nearest Huduma Centre to collect their processed documents.
This initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to improve efficiency in public service delivery and reduce the backlog in document processing.
Huduma Kenya has also encouraged Kenyans to utilize its official communication channels to seek assistance if they encounter any issues.
The latest directive follows increasing complaints from some Kenyans regarding delays in the issuance of smart driving licences and identity cards by the relevant state agencies.
Similarly, the announcement comes after Huduma Kenya’s recent communication about how applicants will be notified once their driving licences, ID cards, and birth certificates are ready.
In a brief notice on February 12, 2026, Huduma Kenya informed that members of the public who applied for these documents would receive direct communication once processing was complete.
According to the agency, applicants would be notified that their documents are ready for collection.
“Processed documents are available for collection at Huduma Centres. Applicants will receive a text message and a call from the contact centre once their documents are ready,” Huduma Kenya explained.