The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, led by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, has endorsed a Bill aiming to establish at least one births and deaths registration office in all constituencies across Kenya.
Committee members supported the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposed by Gilgil MP Martha Wangari and approved its progression to the Second Reading stage.
The principal objective of the Bill is to amend the Births and Death Registration Act (Cap 149) to ensure that the Cabinet Secretary (CS) establishes at least one births and death registration office in each constituency.
It further proposes to amend section 5 of the Births and Death Registration Act to provide that the CS shall appoint one registration area in each constituency.
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The enactment of the Bill will ensure there are at least 290 Births and Deaths Registration areas. The Act currently requires the CS to appoint fit and proper persons to be the registrars and deputy registrars for each registration area and a fit and proper person to be the registrar of births and deaths occurring outside Kenya.
Wangari, while appearing before the committee in a session chaired by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, reassured the committee that the contents of the Bill were accurate.
According to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), currently there are only one hundred and forty-three births and registration centres in Kenya. LSK noted that Article 6(3) of the constitution requires national and State organs to ensure reasonable access to its services in all parts of the Republic.
By Obegi Malack
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