Kenyans may soon obtain Certificates of Good Conduct faster and at reduced cost under a proposed legal amendment that seeks to digitise the process and eliminate repeated fingerprint collection.

The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security has been reviewing changes to the National Police Service Act aimed at allowing applicants to reuse stored biometric data for future applications. The move is expected to shift the process fully online through a centralised system.

If approved, applicants will no longer need to physically visit fingerprint centres every time they apply or renew the certificate. Instead, their previously captured data would be retrieved from a national database, significantly reducing queues at Huduma Centres and offices of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Bill sponsor Kanduyi MP John Makali told the committee that the reforms are designed to improve efficiency in line with digital transformation goals.

“The primary objective is to ensure that once an applicant’s biometrics are captured, subsequent applications can be processed online without the need for physical appearance,” he said.

Makali noted that the DCI handles nearly one million applications annually, a workload that often leads to delays and pressure on existing systems.

Under the proposal, the agency would maintain a secure biometric database to support faster processing and renewals.

The committee also heard that the changes would benefit Kenyans living abroad and young job seekers who frequently require the clearance certificate for employment purposes.

Committee Vice Chair Robert Pukose sought assurance that service delivery would not be disrupted during the transition, to which Makali responded that operations would continue uninterrupted but with improved turnaround times.

Lawmakers welcomed the proposal, with Florence Jematia describing it as a step toward convenience and cost reduction for applicants.

The committee is expected to further examine the financial and technical implications before presenting its report to the National Assembly.