Wajir: Residents of Odongoer village in Goyo sub-location, Ndhiwa constituency have appealed to the government to decentralise birth registration services, citing long distance making it difficult for families to obtain birth certificates for their children.
According to Kenya News Agency, Benta Ouma Kobe, a Community Health Promoter at Goyo Community Health Unit, highlighted that the absence of nearby registration offices has left many caregivers unable to acquire birth certificates. These documents are essential for enrolling children in Early Childhood Development centres and schools.
Kobe noted that during household visits, caregivers report their children remain unregistered due to the challenges posed by the cost of travelling to Homa Bay town civil registry office, which is the nearest centre for birth registration services. She explained, ‘The journey to Homa Bay town is expensive and time-consuming. Transport costs about Sh1000 for a return trip, and the process cannot be completed in a single day,’ emphasizing how this situation has denied many children access to education and essential government services.
Parents echoed these sentiments, pointing out high transport costs, long queues, and repeated return visits to the civil registration offices. Velma Ouma, a parent, described the process as too costly and urged the government to consider the issue in the 2026 financial year planning. She called for mobile registration services closer to the community to alleviate the financial burden on parents, especially those with unstable incomes.
Peter Ochola, a caregiver, shared his struggle with acquiring birth certificates for his two children, given his low-income status. ‘Getting one birth certificate costs about Sh1,000, and for two children that is Sh2,000, plus transport. With low income, this has made it impossible for me,’ he said, mentioning that schools are sending children home for lack of documents.
Kennedy Oluoch Ogendi, another resident, urged the government to bring birth registration services closer to the people due to bad roads, the distance to Homa Bay, and high transport costs. He suggested the services be provided at the chief’s office or a nearby centre.
The residents are now appealing to the national and county governments to decentralise birth registration services, deploy mobile registration units, and reduce the charges for acquiring birth certificates. This would ensure all children in Goyo sub-location can access these documents and enjoy their right to education and other government services. They also requested improvements to local roads to ease transportation challenges.
