HOW TO CREATE AN E-CITIZEN ACCOUNT.

E-citizen account is an account that a Kenyan citizen should have in the e-citizen site for them to get services from government through the internet without having to visit numerous government offices.

Requirements needed to open an e-citizen account.

• Kenyan citizens requirements– One will need a National ID, First name, Phone number, Email address and an internet connection.
• Foreign Residents– Foreigners who are staying in Kenya will need Foreigner certificate, First name, Phone number and Email address.
• Visitors to Kenya- These nationals are those who require a visa to enter Kenya. The will require their Passport, Phone number and Email address.
• Business Purposes- The ones who register business in Kenya will need the Business registration number, Business Phone number and Email.

Process of opening an E-citizen Account.

1. One should take their device that has internet connection and go to the browser and open it. One should search for ecitizen.go.ke in the search box.
2. Once on the e-citizen website, you will be provided with some options that one should choose from depending on what one wants; Kenyan citizen, Foreign Citizen, Visitors and Business. One should choose between the options depending on the type of service they require from the government.
3. Since this is a personal citizen account, choose the Kenyan citizen tab then click on create account.
4. One should enter their ID number and their First name as it is in the ID and click Verify.
5. After the verification of the of the ID. One will be required to enter their email address, password and confirm the password. One should then click on continue button and a link will be sent to your email.
6. One should then open their email and click on the confirmation link that was sent to them so that they can complete registration process as the link will take you back to the e-citizen registration page.
7. At this point, your email has already been verified so one will need to enter their phone number and a text with a verification code will be sent to the number you entered.
8. Enter the verification code that was sent to you in the next page and click Verify in order to verify your phone number. One can then upload their photo which is not compulsory.
9. One can now sign in your e-citizen account using email address or ID number.

Importance of e-citizen account.

• Allows Kenyans to access government services without having to go to their offices. One can book a driver’s test with the NTSA (National Transport Safety Authority), Passport application from the Immigration Department and also search for information of Title deed from the Ministry of Lands.
• One can apply for a marriage certificate in the e-citizen portal through their accounts. Through the account one can also apply for a birth or death certificate in the Civil Registration Department.
• Allows for citizens of other countries to apply for visas in the portal while business owners can apply and pay for their business licenses.
• The e-citizen portal centralizes processes. This has done away with visiting numerous government offices, wasting time on queues and filling out numerous paperwork just for one to apply for simple government service.
• E-citizen portal allows one to keep an eye on the progress of a long process through their portal as opposed to the old ways where one to visit the government office many times to follow on a long process wasting time and money.
• One is able to access the e-citizen portal anywhere in the world as long as you have an account and internet access. This enables on to apply for a government service at their own comfort whether at work or at home.
• E-citizen has enabled good use of the taxpayers’ money. The government collects billions of shillings from the citizens for the services offered to them and the money is directed to the government thus avoiding the need of middlemen and paper-pushers who will always be paid to accelerate applications.
• E-citizen has also helped to reduce corruption in government offices as people pay through the account. It has eliminated the bribing government officials in order for them to give you service which is supposed to be free.