This article guides you on how to apply for a certificate of good conduct online in Kenya through the eCitizen portal. This is the same procedure used for renewing of expired certificate of good conduct upon which you can download. A certificate of good conduct has a validity period of one year and is also referred to as Police Clearance Certificate.  It is provided by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Importance of a Certificate of good conduct in Kenya

It is often common in Kenya for one to be asked to provide a certificate of good conduct in various instances, especially when seeking employment. Every employer wants to ensure that you have a clean criminal record before you are hired or even considered for any position. The certificate of good conduct helps the employer to know that you are a law-abiding citizen with good morals and character. Today, you can easily apply for a certificate of good conduct online in Kenya, we have provided a simple guideline that will help you apply for a certificate of good conduct online at the comfort of your personal computer, smartphone, or a cybercafe.

Eligibility of applying for a Certificate of good conduct

The following are the people who are eligible to apply for a certificate of good conduct in Kenya:

• Kenyan citizens within and outside the country
• Foreign citizens.
• Foreign citizens including aliens and refugees in Kenya.

Requirements of applying for a certificate of good conduct

The following are the requirements that are to be met by all applicants of a certificate of good conduct in Kenya:

• Must have attained the age of 18 years old and above
• An original ID and its photocopy.
• For those under the age of 18, a copy of their original birth certificate should be provided.
• A fee of kes 1050.
• Two copies of the invoice downloaded from the eCitizen website.
• A printed copy of the C24 should also be downloaded from the eCitizen website.
• Foreigners applying for a certificate of good conduct will be required to provide a letter explaining the need of for the certificate, the original and a copy of the identification documents and a fee of kes 1000.

How to  apply for a certificate of good conduct online (through eCitizen Portal)

• Log in to the eCitizen portal or create an account if you don’t have one. Under 18s should use their parents’s eCitizen account.
• Click on the link Directorate of Criminal Investigations and select get services now.
• Click police clearance certificate
• Select your application and then click next
• Select your fingerprint area and location and then click complete
• Select the mode of payment, pay, and click complete. You will be redirected to the homepage if your payment was successful
• The next step involves downloading a copy of your C24 and two copies of your invoice. The documents should be printed on both sides of an A4 paper and presented to the department headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations or Huduma Center DCI Desk where you would like to have your fingerprints taken
• Then Book an Appointment for finger taking and take the forms mentioned above on the date selected. You can reschedule your appointment date through eCitizen portal.
• Once everything has been processed and approved, you will be notified via email to download your certificate of good conduct. You can also be checking your ecitizen portal account whether the certificate is ready for download.

Always ensure that you follow all the instructions during the application process and seek assistance from the nearest Huduma center if you have a problem. Here is a list of Huduma centers in Kenya.

Road Map Direction to CID

If you want manually apply for a certificate of good conduct kindly visit DCI offices at Kiambu road. It is on your way to Karura Forest. Check our Nairobi Matatu routes and stages if you want to use public means from CBD to CID. If you are using personal, take Thika road from CBD and branch to the left and Join Kiambu Road. Drive straight for about 10 minutes (when there is no jam). CID is on the right side of the road (from Thika Road).

UPDATE: Manual application for Certificate of Good Conduct is now not available. You have to apply online, book an appointment, go for fingerprint taking and download your E-police clearance certificate on eCitizen portal.

Queued stage means that your good conduct is still being processed. It takes at least 2 weeks for the certificate to be ready after taking fingerprints.