National Registration Bureau

Also known as: NRB

Institution under Kenya's Ministry of Interior responsible for citizen identity and voter registration; faces allegations of selective registration and corruption involving illegal issuance of documents to foreigners.

2026-05-032026-10-23

News reports

Order a long-term news report on National Registration Bureau

Every mention in the Kenyan press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

September 2026
29 SeptThe Standard
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) The Ministry of Interior and National Administration through the National Registration Bureau (NRB) have been accused of selective voter and identity card registration to pro government regions such as Rift Valley, North …
IEBC, Interior Ministry in spotlight over alleged ID, voter enrolment scheme
29 SeptThe Standard
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) The Ministry of Interior and National Administration through the National Registration Bureau (NRB) have been accused of selective voter and identity card registration to pro government regions such as Rift Valley, North …
Why IEBC, Interior Ministry are in spotlight over alleged ID and voter enrolment scheme
28 SeptThe Standard
… An investigation by The Standard has uncovered testimonies and documents pointing to possible vulnerabilities in the systems used to identify citizens and register voters, putting the National Registration Bureau and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) unde …
Vote Smuggling Ring: Border voter claims put Kenya's electoral system under scrutiny
28 SeptThe Standard
… An investigation by The Standard has uncovered testimonies and documents pointing to possible vulnerabilities in the systems used to identify citizens and register voters, putting the National Registration Bureau and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) unde …
How Ugandans are smuggled, issued Kenyan IDs and voter cards
26 SeptThe Standard
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) have been accused of selectively registering voters and issuing national identity cards in regions perceived to be supportive of the government ahead of the 2027 General Election …
IEBC, Interior Ministry accused of working in cahoots over ID and voter enlisting
August 2026
11 AugCitizen Digital
… Greater interoperability between IEBC's biometric database and existing government registries, such as the National Registration Bureau's identity data, could reduce duplication in voter registration exercises. …
IEBC opens tenders for KIEMS kits, ballot papers and 2027 voter register
8 AugThe Standard
… Under standard operating procedures developed by the National Coroner, mortuary officials are required to trace fingerprints from each unclaimed body through the National Registration Bureau. …
Over 400 bodies to be disposed as Nairobi struggles with congested morgues
July 2026
23 JulCapital News
… He added that the government plans to integrate the system with the National Registration Bureau, the Judiciary, the Immigration Department and INTERPOL through legislative and policy reforms to facilitate real-time identity verification, intelligence sharing and cross-border cri …
Police Clearance Certificates to Be Issued Within 24hrs Under New Biometric System
23 JulCapital News
… Murkomen said the government plans to integrate the biometric platform with the National Registration Bureau, the Judiciary, Immigration Department and INTERPOL to facilitate real-time identity verification, intelligence sharing and cross-border investigations. …
CS Murkomen: International Forensic Accreditation to Strengthen Criminal Prosecutions
23 JulThe Standard
… However, records at the National Registration Bureau (NRB) paint a different picture. …
Dual citizenship claim raises questions on abducted businessman

Politics

IEBC and Interior Ministry accused of selective voter ID registration

The News

The IEBC and Ministry of Interior's National Registration Bureau face accusations of selective voter and identity card registration favoring pro-government regions in the Rift Valley, North Eastern, Coast, and border areas. Sources claim officers from both institutions have formed a squad involving ID registration officers, Deputy County Commissioners, and Constituency Returning Officers to facilitate the Kenya Integrated Election Management System.

29 September 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 29 September

IEBC and Interior Ministry accused of selective voter ID registration
The IEBC and Ministry of Interior's National Registration Bureau face accusations of selective voter and identity card registration favoring pro-government regions in the Rift Valley, North Eastern, Coast, and border areas. Sources claim officers from both institutions have formed a squad involving ID registration officers, Deputy County Commissioners, and Constituency Returning Officers to facilitate the Kenya Integrated Election Management System.
29 September 2026 · The Standard →
IEBC and Interior Ministry accused of selective voter registration
The IEBC and the Ministry of Interior's National Registration Bureau have been accused of selective voter and identity card registration favoring pro-government regions in the Rift Valley, North Eastern parts, Coast, and along Kenyan borders. Sources from both institutions say officers have established a squad involving ID registration officers, Deputy County Commissioners, and Returning Officers to facilitate the Kenya Integrated Election Management System kit.
29 September 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 28 September

Kenya-Uganda border voters raise electoral system integrity concerns
An investigation by The Standard has uncovered testimonies and documents pointing to possible vulnerabilities in Kenya's systems for identifying citizens and registering voters, with allegations of irregular acquisition of Kenyan identity documents and voter registration emerging along the Kenya-Uganda border ahead of the 2027 General Election.
28 September 2026 · The Standard →
Investigation finds vulnerabilities in Kenya voter registration systems
The Standard's investigation has uncovered evidence of Ugandans being smuggled into Kenya and irregularly issued Kenyan identity documents and voter cards, raising questions about the integrity of the voters' roll ahead of the 2027 General Election and putting the National Registration Bureau and IEBC under scrutiny.
28 September 2026 · The Standard →

Saturday 26 September

IEBC and Interior Ministry accused of selective voter registration
The IEBC and National Registration Bureau have been accused of selectively registering voters and issuing national identity cards in regions perceived to support the government ahead of the 2027 General Election.
26 September 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 11 August

IEBC opens international tenders for 2027 election systems and materials
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has launched two major international tenders—one for an Integrated Elections Management System and KIEMS kits for biometric voter identification and results transmission, and another for ballot papers, tactile ballot folders, voter registers, and result-declaration forms—with delivery scheduled before the August 2027 General Election.
11 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 8 August

Nairobi morgues dispose of 475 unclaimed bodies amid congestion
Nairobi County is disposing of 475 unclaimed bodies this month as public morgues struggle with overcrowding; the Nairobi Funeral Home holds 381 bodies—nearly three times its capacity—while some bodies have remained in storage since 2024. The county has given the public seven days to identify and collect bodies, with most classified as unknown after police recovery with no identification clues.
8 August 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 23 July

Police clearance certificates to be issued within 24 hours
Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary announced the rollout of a new multi-biometric identification system that will reduce the processing time for police clearance certificates from up to two weeks to 24 hours and expand the fingerprint database capacity from two million to 10 million records.
23 July 2026 · Capital News →
Kenya's Forensic Unit gains international accreditation for criminal investigations
Kenya's Forensic Evidence Management Unit has received international accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board, which Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen says will strengthen criminal prosecutions by ensuring evidence is collected, preserved and presented according to international standards. The accreditation is said to mark the first such international accreditation for a Forensic Evidence Management Unit in Africa.
23 July 2026 · Capital News →
Abducted businessman's dual citizenship complicates identity questions
A 51-year-old businessman allegedly abducted from Nairobi and deported to South Sudan holds both Kenyan and South Sudanese nationality, according to documents reviewed by The Standard. Amnesty International Kenya and activist Boniface Mwangi have raised concerns about his unlawful removal and current detention at a military facility in Juba.
23 July 2026 · The Standard →
New DCI biometric system reduces good conduct certificate processing to 24 hours
Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations has launched a Multi-Biometric Identification System that will deliver Certificates of Good Conduct within 24 hours, replacing a process that previously took more than two weeks. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the change during the system's official launch on July 23.
23 July 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 16 June

Stop sale of Kenyan identity documents to foreign nationals
The Standard's investigation has exposed a corruption syndicate within Kenya's Immigration Department and National Registration Bureau that sells identity cards and passports to foreign nationals, particularly from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Uganda, through corrupt officials and brokers. The newspaper warns that fraudulent documents pose security risks, citing past attacks and the case of a Sudanese RSF commander who obtained a Kenyan passport.
16 June 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 15 June

MP Koech claims illegal IDs issued to foreigners in 2022
Belgut MP Nelson Koech claims that Kenyan identification cards were illegally issued to foreign nationals without proper vetting in 2022 during Fred Matiang'i's tenure as Cabinet Secretary under President Uhuru Kenyatta.
15 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Rogue officials illegally issuing Kenyan IDs and passports to foreigners
The Standard reports that rogue networks within the Immigration Department and National Registration Bureau are facilitating the illegal issuance of Kenyan identity cards and passports to nationals from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi and Uganda through bribery and corruption, without proper vetting or verification.
15 June 2026 · The Standard →
Rogue officials sell Kenyan IDs, passports to foreign nationals
The Standard reports that foreigners from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Uganda are obtaining Kenyan identity documents through rogue networks within the Immigration Department and National Registration Bureau, facilitated by corrupt officials who accept bribes for documents issued without proper vetting.
15 June 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 11 June

Deaf man arraigned for burglary at MP Karauri's Nairobi home
Jeremy Kamau was arraigned in Milimani Law Courts on a burglary charge for allegedly breaking into the Westlands home of Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri on January 18, 2026, and stealing a MacBook Air laptop valued at Ksh.100,000, a can of baked beans, and an energy drink. According to prosecution, Kamau was apprehended by police officers on duty at the residence after he allegedly lunged at an officer, who shot him in the leg.
11 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Wednesday 3 June

Rogue registration officials selling Kenyan ID cards to foreigners
A Bosnian national received a Kenyan ID card after requesting a residence permit, prompting Justice Roselyne Ekirapa Aburili to warn that weaknesses in the country's registration system threaten citizenship documentation integrity. The editorial reports that wayward officials have long been accused of issuing identification documents to foreigners, with several recent arrests of foreign nationals bearing illegally acquired Kenyan documents.
3 June 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 20 May

High Court rules Kenyan law permits gender marker changes on documents
Kenya's High Court issued a landmark ruling that Kenyan law does not expressly prohibit the alteration of sex or gender markers on official documents, finding that the refusal by state agencies to amend the documents of transgender activist Audrey Mbugua Ithibu violated constitutional guarantees on equality, dignity, privacy, freedom of expression and fair administrative action.
20 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 3 May

Cabinet Secretary Ruku calls on Uhuru to respect President Ruto
Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has criticised former President Uhuru Kenyatta, calling on him to accord President William Ruto the respect befitting his office, noting that Ruto remained loyal and respectful during his time as Deputy President.
3 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →