The number of Kenyans who sought government services physically and were served through Huduma Centres rose to 14.12 million in the year ended June 2025, reflecting continued reliance on in-person access despite Kenya’s push towards digital government.
Data from the National Treasury shows that 14.12 million people were served physically at Huduma Centres in the year ended June 2025, up from 13.5 million the previous year.
The increase highlights a paradox in Kenya’s public service reforms: while online platforms such as eCitizen have expanded, millions of citizens still rely on face-to-face interactions to access essential government services.
"Customers served through Huduma Kenya Service delivery platforms [or] number of customers (in millions) served annually through Huduma Kenya Service (HKS) delivery platforms 14,121,167 in 2024/2025… over 13.5 million customers were served every year," said Treasury.
"Seven (7) Huduma Centres were constructed by the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) and operationalised by HKS," added Treasury.
Kenyans continue to visit Huduma Centres because they bring together some of the country’s most essential and frequently needed government services under one roof, reducing the time, cost and confusion of navigating multiple offices.
The centres offer services such as national ID registration and replacement, passport applications, birth and death certificate processing, driving licence services, business registration, NHIF/SHA and NSSF enrolment, tax (KRA) assistance, police clearance certificates and access to social protection programmes.
Many of these services require biometric capture, document verification or physical signatures, making in-person visits unavoidable despite the availability of online portals.
The numbers have been rising since 2022/23, increasing from 13.52 million to 13.5 million in 2024 and reaching 14.12 million in 2025.
The rise to 14.12 million surpassed the government’s target of serving 14 million customers across various Huduma Centres in the year ended June 2025.
The government has announced plans to expand the number of Huduma Centres across the country as part of efforts to improve access to public services.
Some of the centres are located in Naivasha, Malindi, Meru and Kibwezi, among other towns.
The increase is attributed to changes in national identification systems, rising demand for passports and the transition to new health and social security schemes, which have driven repeat visits, particularly among first-time applicants and those updating records.
In 2024, the State Department for Immigration said it issued 621,805 passports and successfully streamlined the passport issuance process. “As of 9th June 2025, despite having notified applicants by text messages, we have 57,334 uncollected passports,” said Principal Secretary, State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, Dr Belio Kipsang, mid last year.
According to a study by the University of Nairobi on e-government services at Huduma Centres, the surge in in-person visits also exposes persistent gaps in Kenya’s digital transformation.
Limited internet access, low digital literacy and frequent system outages continue to lock out many citizens from online services. For others, the complexity of digital platforms or lack of trust in completing sensitive transactions online makes Huduma Centres a safer and more reliable option.
A recent joint report by the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that only about 35 percent of Kenyans use the internet, while computer access remains low at roughly 11.6 percent.
Internet use is far higher in urban areas such as Nairobi than in rural counties like Turkana, West Pokot and Marsabit.
These gaps in access and digital literacy leave many citizens unable to complete online government transactions, making Huduma Centres a vital point of service for essential documents and social support programmes.
→ emwenda@ke.nationmedia.com
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