There was a time when getting something as simple as a birth certificate meant standing in endless queues, pleading with clerks, and sometimes handing over a bribe.
For passports, IDs, and business permits, the process was even worse. The delays, the lost files, and the frustration defined how Kenyans interacted with their government.
Today, that reality feels almost distant. With a few clicks, millions of Kenyans can now apply for virtually any government service from their phones. At the heart of that transformation is eCitizen, the digital platform first piloted in 2014 and now the main gateway to all government services.
For one middle-aged resident of the affordable housing project in Mukuru kwa Reuben, the platform was the difference between renting in a slum and owning a home.
“I went to the cyber to apply for an affordable housing unit. The assistant helped me open an eCitizen account on my phone. If I couldn’t get that account, I would have missed out completely,” she said.
Thousands of others echo her story. Another Nairobian told us that she had to clear her schedule just to make a simple application. “I used to close my shop and queue for hours at the county offices. Sometimes they told you the system was down. Now, I pay on my phone in minutes,” he said.
When the system launched, many dismissed it as a nuisance. Cyber cafés thrived as people struggled to understand the platform. Some gave up entirely, convinced that the old ways were easier.
A decade later, however, the same cafés are now guides rather than gatekeepers. Most Kenyans have learnt to make applications themselves, with documents such as IDs and passports delivered to Huduma Centres for easy collection.
Young Kenyans have been among the most enthusiastic adopters. “I went to eCitizen and applied for a passport. I paid via M-PESA and received a confirmation message telling me when to pick it up,” said one university student.
For many, the real change is in trust. “In the old days, you could go to the chief, who sent you to the DO, who then told you to go somewhere else. The chain was never-ending,” he told us.
The impact has not only been felt by ordinary Kenyans. The government itself has reaped enormous benefits. In 2014, eCitizen hosted fewer than ten services. Today, virtually every government service is available online. According to a review of the platform, it has closed revenue loopholes, curbed graft, and created a transparent record of transactions.
In the 2023–2024 financial year, revenue collections increased by Ksh100.8 billion as more government services joined the platform.
A World Bank review estimated that the government saved up to Ksh232.4 billion in the current exchange rate in compliance costs within the first 15 months of eCitizen’s operation alone.
