Kenyans will now receive Police Clearance Certificates within 24 hours following the launch of the Multi-Biometric Identification System (MBIS–ABIS Version 5), Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced.
The new system, unveiled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), is expected to dramatically reduce processing time from the current period of up to 14 days or more.
“The turnaround time for processing Police Clearance Certificates, which previously took up to 14 days or more, will now be reduced to just 24 hours,” Murkomen said.
He spoke at the DCI headquarters during the handover of the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) certificate to the Forensic Evidence Management Unit (FEMU) and the launch of the upgraded biometric identification system.
Murkomen described the twin milestones as a major step in the government’s efforts to modernise the country’s security architecture through technology, institutional reforms and improved public service delivery.
“This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to modernising our security agencies, institutional reforms and improved service delivery,” he said.
The internationally accredited Forensic Evidence Management Unit now meets globally recognised standards for handling forensic evidence, ensuring the chain of custody complies with international best practices. The accreditation positions Kenya as a regional leader in forensic science and is expected to strengthen criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Murkomen said the new MBIS platform significantly boosts the DCI’s biometric and fingerprint management capabilities.
“With this landmark development, our records capacity will increase from two million to 10 million, while daily fingerprint searches will rise from 4,500 to 20,000,” he said.
The upgraded system will be rolled out across all 52 Huduma Centres nationwide, making Police Clearance Certificate services faster and more accessible to the public.
The government also plans to integrate MBIS with the National Registration Bureau, the Judiciary, the Department of Immigration Services and INTERPOL to facilitate faster identity verification, real-time intelligence sharing and enhanced cross-border cooperation in combating crime.
Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Mulele Ingonga said the new biometric system will also strengthen the criminal justice process by enabling prosecutors and courts to quickly identify repeat offenders.
According to Ingonga, the system captures an accused person’s criminal history, allowing courts to access previous convictions immediately during sentencing.
He noted that repeat and habitual offenders face tougher penalties because prior convictions are treated as aggravating factors under the law.
Ingonga added that comprehensive background investigations into an offender’s behavioural history and the level of risk they pose to society are essential in helping courts make informed sentencing decisions.
Murkomen says biometric and forensic systems mark new era in Kenya’s fight against crime
