FAQ · Politics & Government 25

Kenya Revenue Authority tells passengers at the passenger terminal to declare currency of 10,000 United States dollars and above, or its equivalent. That currency line appears beside other arrival items, including purchased accompanied baggage brought back to Kenya when it exceeds 500 United States dollars, apart from the exceptions named on the page. The same list covers inherited items, goods bought in duty-free shops above the stated limits, repairs or alterations made abroad, gifts brought for someone else, and goods intended for sale or business. It also includes goods whose importation is regulated under EACCMA 2004 or under another written law in force in an East African Community partner state. The page states that giving false information to a customs officer is an offence under EACCMA 2004. A passenger carrying currency at or above that level is therefore among the people the page tells to declare it.

Kenya's Air Passenger Service Charge Act imposes a service charge on passengers departing by air from an airport within Kenya. A person who purchases a ticket pays fifty United States dollars, or the equivalent in a specified currency or in Kenya shillings, for an external journey, and six hundred shillings for an internal journey. The Cabinet Secretary may vary those charges from time to time by a notice in the Gazette. A child under the age of two years is exempt, and so is a passenger embarking at an airport where that passenger is in transit. A passenger who already paid the charge, and whose aircraft returns to the airport of embarkation without first landing somewhere else, is exempt when embarking again to resume the journey. Proceeds are apportioned among the Kenya Airports Authority, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the Tourism Fund in the manner the Cabinet Secretary specifies by Gazette notice.

The Kenya Defense Forces, comprising the Kenya Army, the Kenya Navy and the Kenya Air Force, protect Kenya's sovereignty and territory and assist civil authorities when asked to respond to an emergency, a disaster or political unrest. The Ministry of Interior is listed separately and covers the National Police Service and the Kenya Coast Guard. The forces' chief security concerns include regional disputes and instability, maritime crime and piracy, and the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group, which has conducted attacks inside Kenya. They have conducted operations in neighboring Somalia since 2011 and take part in regional peacekeeping, with 400 personnel deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under MONUSCO and approximately 1,400 in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission. The current force was established in the 2010 constitution and is governed by the Kenya Defense Forces Act of 2012. Service is voluntary for men and women from 18 to 26 years of age, with a service obligation of seven to nine years.

In Kenya a notary public and a commissioner for oaths do different work, even though the two titles are often used as if they were the same. A commissioner for oaths acts under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act and may administer oaths and take affidavits for court and other legal purposes within Kenya. An advocate who has practised in Kenya for at least three years may apply to become a commissioner for oaths. A notary public needs at least five years of practice before appointment, and the common work is authentication, certification and formal execution of documents, especially documents intended for use internationally. The Chief Justice appoints both officers, and the notary public is governed by the Notaries Public Act. A notary may witness a signature, administer an oath, certify a copy or attach a notarial seal, and a document sent abroad may still need further authentication after notarization.

Kenya has not acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, the Apostille Convention, so a Kenyan document for use abroad is legalised rather than apostilled. Kenya therefore neither issues apostilles nor treats an apostille by itself as sufficient authentication. The document instead follows a chain of authentication that ends with the embassy or consulate of the destination country. A Kenyan notary public first attests to the document, and the High Court then confirms that notary's standing. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, through its Legal and Host Country Affairs Directorate, then confirms the High Court signature and the notary's enrolment. The destination embassy confirms the ministry signature, while ministry applications are processed through the eCitizen platform and collected at the ministry offices or at designated Huduma Centres.

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board is the drug regulatory authority established under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Chapter 244 of the Laws of Kenya. The Board regulates the practice of pharmacy and the manufacture and trade in drugs and poisons. It aims to set regulatory measures that keep drugs, chemical substances and medical devices safe, effective and of high quality, whether they are manufactured in Kenya or imported, exported, distributed, sold or used there. Its mission is to protect and promote the health of the public by regulating the pharmacy profession and by supporting access to safe, quality and efficacious health products and technologies. The Board is organised into four directorates: Medical Products and Health Technologies, Pharmacy Practice, Laboratory Services and Corporate Services. The medical-products directorate covers registration, inspections, good manufacturing and distribution practices, post-market surveillance, clinical trials and vigilance, while the pharmacy-practice directorate regulates training, daily practice and continuing professional development.

Foreign nationals can seek help from Kenya's Directorate of Immigration Services through the telephone lines and office list on its contact page. The Nairobi passport-control office is at Nyayo House, and the page gives the landline 020-2222022 together with the Nairobi numbers 254 20 2222022 and 254 20 2218833. Separate published lines cover passports, visas, permits, permanent residence, citizenship, and FNM extensions and endorsements, and a hotline is listed as well. The hotline shown is 254 110-922065, the permit line is 254 707-657991, and one visa line is 254 110-922063. Passport-control offices are also named for Embu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kisii, Eldoret, Mombasa, Kericho and Bungoma. The contact page invites people to ask for help and says that the service is there to help.

Kenya's national family planning guidelines for service providers say emergency contraceptive pills are available in government, private and NGO health facilities, and over the counter at pharmacies. The same guidance says the pills work only if they are used within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse, and that they can be used in an emergency without first seeing a clinician. It describes them as safe and accessible, usable at any point in the menstrual cycle, and usable by all women, including women who cannot use ongoing hormonal methods. A copper intrauterine device is also recommended for emergency contraception when it is inserted within five days of unprotected sex. Nausea is listed as a possible side effect and is described as more common with the higher-dose combined pill regimen than with a dedicated product. The guidelines add that the result depends on the user taking the pills in time.

The Communications Authority of Kenya has described a proposed national cell-broadcast service that would let the government send instant, location-based alerts to mobile phones in an affected area. On 16 March 2026 the authority hosted a validation workshop on an Early Warning System Assessment Tool meant to judge readiness for cell broadcast within the emergency communication framework. The proposed service is intended to carry critical warnings during floods, severe weather and other national emergencies, without requiring people to register or subscribe beforehand. Unlike a text message, which the authority says can be delayed when a network is congested, cell broadcast is described as reaching phones connected to the relevant towers at the same time. Boruett, speaking at the workshop, linked the effort to a December 2027 aim of effective early warnings for hazardous weather, water and climate events. The authority presents the service as something that would strengthen Kenya's emergency response once it is implemented.

Nairobi held a two-day Operation Okoa Maisha simulation at Central Park, ending on 2 October 2026, to test how the city would respond to expected El Niño rains. The drill brought together the National Disaster Operations Centre, the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi County Disaster Management, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the National Youth Service, the Kenya Meteorological Department and other emergency agencies. It used a One County, One Plan, One Command approach and included the neighbouring counties of Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado. Governor Sakaja Johnson said the county had set up hotlines 1508 and 1199 and an emergency operations centre at Charter Hall so residents could get help quickly. He said senior representatives of the agencies sit in that centre and can decide in real time, including advice on working from home or closing schools after consulting the Ministry of Education. National Disaster Operations Centre director David Samoei said the teams had been trained and were ready to deal with issues that arise.

Roadblocks and diversions during the June 25 demonstrations in Nairobi became the subject of a High Court contempt case brought by Katiba Institute. In an affidavit for the Inspector General, Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohammed Mohamud said conservatory orders made by Justice Lawrence Mugambi on 9 July 2025 did not forbid roadblocks, checkpoints or diverting traffic. He said those orders required advance public notice only when police planned structural road closures or long-term restrictions. The affidavit says Section 5 of the Public Order Act requires organisers to notify the officer commanding a station in Nairobi County at least three days before a demonstration, and that this notice is a safety arrangement rather than a request for permission. Mohamud said no such notices were received, so officers set temporary checkpoints as risks changed, including at Roysambu, Kangemi, Ngong Road, Uhuru Highway and Githurai. Katiba Institute argues that the same orders barred blocking the central business district and other public roads without first informing the public, and it asked the court to find the Inspector General in contempt.

Under the Traffic (Minor Offences) Rules of 2016, as a published guide summarises the Kenya Law schedule, exceeding the speed limit by 1 to 5 kilometres per hour draws a warning. Exceeding it by 6 to 10 kilometres per hour is listed at 500 shillings, by 11 to 15 at 3,000 shillings, and by 16 to 20 at 10,000 shillings. The guide says these amounts are the maximum instant fines in the First Schedule, revised to 31 December 2022, and that speeding by more than 20 kilometres per hour falls outside that schedule and can go to court. A camera detection leads to an SMS from the sender identity 22847_NTSA or NTSA, and the notice should show the vehicle, place, time, offence and a payment reference. The same guide says the fine is paid in person at a KCB branch or KCB agent, not through eCitizen and not by sending mobile money to a phone number. It does not publish a separate speeding amount for a foreign driver, so the figure on the official notice is the one that applies.

Kenya's motorcycle regulations, as published on Kenya Law, apply to every motorcycle operating on a public road. A motorcycle may not be sold or transferred unless it is supplied with two helmets that meet Kenya Bureau of Standards requirements and two reflective jackets or vests. Each jacket must carry the motorcycle's registration number on the back in letters not less than four inches high. The owner of a two-wheeled motorcycle must give that protective gear to the rider and the passenger, and must not let anyone ride it without a valid driving licence or a valid provisional licence for that class. A passenger must properly wear a helmet and a reflective jacket whenever being carried. Riders are also required to observe traffic lights and all traffic rules, and they must not park in an undesignated area.

For registration on Kenya's immigration eCitizen page, the photograph must be in colour, on a white background, and recent, meaning not more than six months old. It must be a sharp, clean close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders, with the face taking up 70 to 80 percent of the frame, and the person must look straight at the camera. The stated size is five point five centimetres by five point five centimetres, which the page also gives as 207 by 207 pixels, with natural skin tone and suitable brightness and contrast. A hat or cap is not allowed, although religious headgear may be considered case by case if the chin, nose, eyes and eyebrows stay visible and the forehead is uncovered enough to show the shape of the face. Hair should be tucked behind the ears, and the picture must not carry ink marks, creases or staple marks. Scanned images and colour photocopies are not accepted.

Kenya's Notaries Public Act allows the Chief Justice, by an instrument under his hand, to appoint an advocate to perform within Kenya the work of a notary public of the United Kingdom. No advocate may be appointed unless that advocate has practised in Kenya for at least five years immediately before applying. The Chief Registrar of the Judiciary enrolls the appointee in a book kept in the Registrar's office and, after the prescribed fee is paid, issues a certificate of enrolment. The certificate authorises notarial work only until 31 December following the date it takes effect, so a new certificate and a further fee are required to continue. The Chief Justice may revoke the appointment if the person stops being an advocate, is suspended, is guilty of fraudulent or improper conduct, or charges more than the prescribed amount. Someone who needs a notary therefore has to use an advocate whose name is on that roll and whose certificate is still in force.

A published authentication note says document authentication in Kenya is carried out by the Legal and Host Country Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before that step, the relevant issuing authority certifies the paper, and the note gives examples such as the Ministry of Education for academic certificates and the Registrar of Marriages for marriage certificates. Birth and death certificates are listed with the Registrar of Births and Deaths, while a notary public document is listed with the Registrar of the High Court. Trade documents are listed with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry or the Joint Arab-Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Applicants are told to submit the request at Counter 39 of the Huduma Centre at City Square in Nairobi, take a receipt and a collection slip, and have the file sent on to the directorate. The note also says the directorate gives priority when someone must travel abroad urgently for medical care, and it does not name a separate desk that issues an apostille.

The Work Injury Benefits Act provides compensation to employees for work-related injuries and for diseases contracted in the course of their employment. An employer under the Act is any person who employs an employee, and the term also covers a deceased employer's legal representative, a person controlling the employer's business, and the Government. Every employer must obtain and maintain an insurance policy, with an insurer approved by the Cabinet Secretary, for any liability the employer may incur under the Act to its employees. An employee who suffers an accident resulting in disablement or death is entitled to the benefits provided in the Act, and the employer is liable to pay compensation when the employee is injured while at work. Compensation is refused where an accident that does not cause serious disablement or death was brought about by the employee's deliberate and wilful misconduct. The duty to carry the approved policy, and the duty to pay compensation, therefore sit with the employer.

A guide to leave under Kenya's Employment Act says a female employee is entitled to three months of maternity leave with full pay. She must give at least seven days' written notice, or a shorter period that is reasonable in the circumstances, of the date she intends to start and the date she intends to return. At the end of the leave she has the right to return to the same job, or to a reasonably suitable job on terms that are no less favourable. Maternity leave does not take away her annual leave, and annual leave may follow it immediately if the employer consents. A male employee is entitled to two weeks of paternity leave with full pay. The guide treats those parental periods as separate from the minimum of 21 working days of paid annual leave after 12 consecutive months with the same employer.

A retirement-age guide that cites the NSSF Act of 2013 says the Fund's pensionable age is 60, and that early retirement is allowed from 50. It says a retirement pension is payable to a member who has reached pensionable age, or who opts for early retirement after turning 50 but before reaching that age. The same guide says the mandatory retirement age for civil servants and other public officers is 60, while public officers with a registered disability have a mandatory age of 65. Teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission have a compulsory retirement age of 60. Judges may retire from 65 and must retire at 70 under Article 167(1) of the Constitution, and the earliest public-service pension age given is 50 with at least 10 years of qualifying service. Private-sector staff have no single statutory retirement age, because the contract or the rules of a scheme registered with the Retirement Benefits Authority set it.

In an announcement reported by The Coast, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Erastus Ethekon said a person may register as a voter if that person is a Kenyan citizen, is at least 18 years old, and holds a valid Kenyan national identity card or Kenyan passport. The same account says the person must not be registered elsewhere, must not have been convicted of an election offence in the previous five years, must not be of unsound mind, and must not already appear on the current register. A new voter attends a registration centre in person, provides fingerprints and a digital photograph, and receives an acknowledgement slip. The test the chairman stated begins with Kenyan citizenship, so a foreign resident who is not a Kenyan citizen falls outside it. The announcement concerned continuous registration of eligible citizens, not a separate county ballot for non-citizens. A non-citizen foreign resident therefore cannot use that registration exercise to vote for a county office.

The Communications Authority of Kenya says a consumer may complain about being unable to access or use a communication service, and that the authority handles complaints made against licensed providers. The consumer must first report the problem to the service provider and keep the record, including emails, call logs and any reference number. If the provider does not resolve it satisfactorily, the consumer may send the complaint to the authority in writing within six months of the incident and must attach evidence of that first report. The authority says it acknowledges a complaint within three days of receiving it and gives a substantive response within ten days. Complaint forms are placed on the authority's website. Someone who writes only to the authority, without first going to the provider, has not followed the order set out in that guidance.

Kenya Power's contact page tells customers to dial the USSD code star 977 hash or to call 97771, and it says the company will attend to the matter. The page also lists a national contact-centre number, 254 703 070 707, next to the 97771 line. It publishes a support email and gives the head office as Stima Plaza on Kolobot Road, with the postal address 30099-00100. The company says it has offices across all counties, grouped by region, including the Coast, Mt Kenya and Nairobi. Those are the channels it offers for inquiries, support and feedback. A customer with a power or billing problem can start with the short code, the contact-centre numbers or a county office named on that page.

The Water Services Regulatory Board says a consumer may report a water complaint by email, telephone, a feedback form, a face-to-face visit, a public consultation, a consumer group or social media. Complaints can also be sent through an online form, a hotline or in person at the Board's offices, and the telephone line printed on that page is 254 709 482000. Once received, a complaint is entered in the complaints register and sent to the relevant director. Staff then assess what the complaint is about and whether it is valid, and they may contact the person who complained if more detail is needed. The Board may instruct the water service provider to correct the problem or to fix a wider pattern so it does not recur. Its service charter sets 14 business days for a standard complaint, and a more complex case may take longer if the complainant is told about the extra time.

The Postal Corporation of Kenya lists its headquarters at Posta House on Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi, with postal address 34567-00100. The contact page gives pilot lines 0730642000, 0719072000 and 0203242000, and customer-care lines 0719072600, 0730642600 and 0203242600. It also publishes separate email addresses for general enquiries, the postmaster general and customer care. A visitor may use the online form on that page, and the corporation says its customer-service team will be in touch within three business days. Those are the channels the corporation itself prints for support. A mail complaint can therefore be started by calling a customer-care line, using the form, or going to the Kenyatta Avenue headquarters.

The State Department for Tourism's citizens' service charter invites feedback as a compliment, a complaint or a suggestion. It says a public complaint can be made through the department's available platforms at no charge, with a response time of one working day. Resolution of a verbal or written complaint is listed at 14 working days and is also free. The charter gives the head office as the Tourism Fund Building on Valley Road, off Bishop House Road, on the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th floors, with postal address 30027-00100 Nairobi. The telephone numbers printed there are 020-2020497 and 020-2020498. If the department's own handling falls short of its courtesy standards, the charter says the matter may be reported to the Commission on Administrative Justice at West End Towers on Waiyaki Way.