Bungoma County Urges Immediate Registration of Newborns to Avoid Late Birth Certificates

BUNGOMA – Residents of Bungoma County are being encouraged to promptly register the births of their newborns to facilitate the timely issuance of birth certificates.

According to Kenya News Agency, chaired by Deputy County Commissioner of Bumula Sub-county, Hadya S. Abdalla, there has been a noted trend of parents failing to register births as they occur. This trend has led to an increase in the number of late registrations, causing parents to scramble for birth certificates needed for school enrollments.

Victoria Odhiambo, the County Coordinator for Civil Registration Services, highlighted the disparity in registration timeliness, stating that in 2023, the office recorded 35,843 late registrations compared to 8,773 current registrations. Despite these challenges, the office managed to issue 56,917 birth certificates to residents over the last year.

Odhiambo emphasized the importance of obtaining a birth notification immediately after delivery, either from the hospital or at the Assistant Chief’s offices. She pointed out that such records are vital for national planning purposes, urging residents to comply with the registration process to ensure their children’s right to timely official documentation.