Parents storm registrar's office over birth certificates

Mombasa residents apply for birth certificates at the Huduma Centre offices on February 19, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • It was a push-and-pull affair at the registrar’s office and the less than 10 birth registration officials were overwhelmed.
  • Two women fainted at the congested offices, as the parents jostled to be served.
  • Students need birth certificates to register with the Ministry of Education and get a unique identifier.
  • Parents urged the Education ministry to extend registration of students. The deadline was February 20.

Chaos erupted at the offices of the registrar of persons in Mombasa when hundreds of parents and students on Monday stormed the premises seeking to verify birth certificates or apply for the documents.

Two women fainted at the congested offices as the parents jostled to be served.

The birth certificates were required to register learners so they can get unique identifiers that would be used during exams, replacing index numbers that were used previously. The deadline for registration was Tuesday.

CHAOS

It was a push-and-pull affair at the registrar’s office and the less than 10 birth registration officials were overwhelmed.

Police were called in to quell the angry crowd, as parents urged the ministry to extend the exam registration deadline.

Mombasa residents fill forms to apply for birth certificates outside the Civil Registration Offices at Bima Tower Building on February 19, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

“I was here since 6am. The door was opened around 8am but by afternoon I had not been served. My grandchild was born at home. It has been a hectic affair to get her birth certificate,” said a woman who only identified herself as Fatuma.

When she realised she would not get the document, she sat down crying inside the offices begging the officials to help her grandchild.

VERIFICATION

Sadika Shee said her daughter, a student at Alfarsy Girls High School, was sent home after her entry number was not recognised during the registration.

“I was told by my teachers that my entry number isn’t recognizable so I had to come here for clarification,” the student said.

Most learners who were sent away from public and private schools to validate their birth certificates urged the ministry to extend the registration period.

“I was told to come to Bima Towers at the department of birth records for verification [of her child’s birth certificate],” another parent said.

OVERWHELMED

At Mombasa’s Huduma Centre, more than 400 parents turned up to apply for the documents while others wanted theirs verified.

The centre’s manager, Alex Muriithi, said initially the facility used to record about 150 new applicants.

Mombasa residents fill forms to apply for birth certificates outside the Civil Registration Offices at the Bima Towers building on February 19, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

“But on Friday we recorded 600 cases and today the numbers will surge. The most peculiar cases are old registration, children born eight years ago who lack birth certificates. Others are cases of foreign children either born in Uganda or Tanzania,” Mr Muriithi said.

Brian Mae, 19, has never had a birth certificate, but when the deadline for producing the crucial documents ended, he rushed to Mombasa’s Huduma Centre.

Last year, he easily got his identification card.

“I am afraid my documents have issues. I was born in Lugari,” the student said.

REGISTRATION

Learners need their birth certificates verified as their names and details would be fed onto a Ministry of Education portal, the gateway to the National Education Management System whose deadline was Tuesday.

The Ministry of Education would then issue unique identifiers to all learners, which would be used until the completion of their education.

The numbers would be used as a guide for accuracy and accountability on the free primary and secondary education resources.

According to the government, starting this year, candidates will use the unique identifiers in exams instead of index numbers.