The recovery process after losing a loved one is not an easy journey. One has to learn to readjust to life without the person you thought you could not live without.
Obtaining a death certificate is one of the major steps towards readjusting. You will need a death certificate to access services that were previously registered under your loved one's name.
The services include the transfer of assets and accessing retirement benefits. A death certificate also clears your loved one from government systems such as the voters’ register and also, to deregister them as a taxpayer.
In the past, many people did not apply for death certificates after the deaths of their loved ones citing the long and tedious process.
However, the process has since changed since the launch of the eCitizen portal.
How To Apply for a Death Certificate
You can get the Death Notification Form from the doctor who attended the deceased during their last illness. You must complete Part 2 of the Death Notification Form. You must then sign the Register in the presence of the Registrar. You will need to bring photo ID with you. The following is a Procedure on how to Obtain a Death Certificate in Kenya
Apply In-Person:
1. Visit your local district registrar’s office of where the death occurred to make the application.
2. Here you will be given a death certificate application form to fill. You can also download the death certificate application form here. Death certificate application form
3. After filling the form, attach the burial permit to facilitate the search of record at the District Civil Registrars’ Office. You will also be required to attach the deceased’s national identity card.
4. Attach a death certificate fee of Kshs. 50 and any record amendment fee as advised by the office in case amendments are required on the original record of death. You will pay Ksh 90 for amendment death certificate.
5. Return the completed death certificate application form with the relevant fee to the District Civil Registrar.
6. It is issued within 3 days in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. In the districts, it takes 1 day.
Apply On-line:
On-line applications are available for Nairobi region only. Other regions will be added soon.
1. Visit E-Citizen
2. Log in or create account, if you do not have one.
3. Scroll down and look for civil registration department. Click the get service button
4. Next click the make application then select death certificate and follow the instructions
5. You will need to fill in the following information
a) District of death
b) Burial permit number
c) Exact place of death
d) Name of Deceased as per Identity Card
e) Gender
f) Date of Death
g) Age of deceased
h) Occupation of deceased
i) Address of Applicant
6. Once you have keyed in the required information, click continue to review information.
7. Click’ ’submit’’’ to submit application and make payment. Choose method of payment.
8. The fee is 100 which is payable via Mpesa, Airtel money, KCB cash, Equity cash, Debit/ credit/Prepaid cash.
9. Make the payment then print your receipt of payment.
10. Submit a copy of your eCitizen invoice to ACK Bishop House for processing to begin. You should present the following to ACK Bishop House for processing to begin.
i. Original ID card of the Deceased.
ii. Burial permit of the Deceased.
11. The certificate will be ready after three days of processing. Death Certificate in Kenya
Required Documents
· Original ID card of the Deceased.
· Burial permit of the Deceased.
· Notification of death.
· Your eCitizen invoice. Death Certificate in Kenya
Office Locations & Contacts
Department of Civil Registration
Hass Plaza 4th Floor, Lower Hill Road,
P.O Box 49179- 00100 Nairobi
Tel; +254-20-2714987/8
Email: director@crd.go.ke
Website: Coming soon
Fax; 2714989
E-Citizen civil registration service application portal: E-Citizen
E-Citizen Queries
Safaricom Line: 0709 932 300
Telkom Line: 020 6632 300
Huduma Kenya
Lonrho House,
15th Floor,
Standard Street Nairobi
P.O. Box 47716-00100,
Nairobi
Phone: +254(020) 6900020
Website: Huduma Kenya
Email: info@hudumakenya.go.ke
ACK Bishop House location
ACK BISHOP House – Nairobi,
Bishop’s Road,
Off Ngong Road (opp. NSSF Building)
Nairobi.
Google Maps ACK Bishop house location: ACK Bishop house location
Eligibility
· All people who die within Kenyan borders are eligible for a death certificate, and this can be processed by a relative or next of kin, an inmate of a house where death occurred, any person who finds or takes charge of the body.
Fees
· Death Certificate with no amendments – Kshs 50.00
· Death Certificate with amendments – Kshs 130.00
· Online application fee- Ksh 100.00
Validity
· Its validity is forever – Death Certificate in Kenya
Documents to Use
· Application for a Death Certificate (Form D4) : Application for a Death Certificate Form D4
Processing Time
· May vary depending on complexity of cause of death, but mostly takes one day.
· It is issued within 3 days in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. In the districts, it takes 1 day.
Instructions
1. When a death occurs in which you are the best placed person to obtain the certificate, you should notify the authorities and have the body picked for an examination.
2. The medical examiner then issues a death certificate describing the cause of death.
3. In case the death takes place in a hospital, a medical officer who attended to the dead person shall sign the death certificate, stating what he/she believes is the cause of death.
Required Information
· District of death
· Province of death
· Burial Permit No
· Exact place of death
· Name of deceased as per Identity Card
· Sex
· Date of death
· Age of deceased
· Occupation of deceased
· Name and address of the applicant
· Cause of the death
· Results of a medical examination on the dead body.
Need for the Document
· A death certificate is an official document issued by the government, which declares the cause of death, location of death, time of death, and some other personal information about the deceased.
· There are several reasons why you may need to obtain a death certificate.
1. Most often it’s to serve as proof for legal purposes. These reasons may include accessing
i. Pension benefits
ii. Claiming life insurance
iii. Settling estates
iv. Getting married (if a widow or widower needs to prove that their previous partner has passed)
v. Arranging for a funeral
2. Government officials may need the death certificate to review the cause of death during investigations to determine, if foul-play occurred.
3. Public health officials use death certificates to compile data on various statistics, including leading causes of death. Public health policies depend heavily on the mortality data from death certificates because they are the only source of information about the causes of death and illnesses preceding death.
Information which might help
· Medical facilities that are authorized to offer death certificates Information can also be obtained from the registrar of births and deaths from the Ministry of Immigration and registration of persons.
· You can obtain a death certificate for a deceased relative, house mate, or anyone for whom you took charge of the body.
· The process should be commenced as soon as death is confirmed, and should not be later than a month.
Other uses of the Document/Certificate
The death certificate is important for three basic reasons:
1. Legal Reasons: The death certificate is a permanent legal record of the fact of death. Oklahoma law stipulates that a death certificate is to be filed (63 OS 1-317(a)). Therefore, it is a legal requirement. It provides important information about: the decedent, the cause of death, and final disposition. This information is used in the application for insurance benefits, settlement of pension claims, and transfer of title of real and personal property. The certificate is prima facie evidence of the fact of death and, therefore, can be introduced in court as evidence when a question about the death arises.
2. Personal Reasons: The death certificate in many cases provides family members with closure, peace of mind, and documentation of the cause of death. It also provides peace of mind by facilitating efficient processing of needed benefits as those described above.
3. Vital Statistics Reasons: The death certificate is the source for state and national mortality statistics. It is needed for a variety of medical and health-related research efforts. It is used to determine which medical conditions receive research and development funding, to set public health goals and policies, and to measure health status at local, state, national, and international levels. This data is valuable as a research tool and by influencing research funding.
External Links
· E-Citizen civil registration service application portal: E-Citizen
· Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government: Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government
· Civil registration forms: Civil registration forms
Others
· It is a requirement that death certificates are issued for all deaths that occur within Kenya. The process of obtaining a death certificate is accomplished after a medical examination of the victim.
Death Certificate Applications For Kenyans who Passed Away Abroad
For this service, you will be required to visit the Central Records Registry at Sheria House, Nairobi.
You will be required to present the deceased's passport or ID and a medical certificate from certified a medical practitioner.
Traveling documents used to transfer the body to Kenya are also required.
If there was a previous death certificate issued at the country where your loved one died, verification will be done through the Kenyan Embassy to the country.
You will then be required to fill Form BDA2 which is the document used to apply for the registration of death of Kenyan citizen who passed away abroad.