Wamuyu couldn’t believe that she had lost the chance to bag her dream job at a local subsidiary of the world’s biggest solar equipment manufacturer. Her flabbergast was unimaginable. A damn certificate of good conduct was all it took. She hadn’t been cleared by the police. It so happened that Wamuyu shares a name (Wamoyu to be exact) with someone who has a criminal record (petty crime stuff if you think about it) but not so petty that SunSolar couldn’t overlook it. That kiosk of a background screening company deserves to be sued, Wamuyu fumed. Such mistakes shouldn’t have happened, and she wasn’t about to take this lightly.

What is a Police Clearance Certificate?

A legal document also known as a Certificate of Good Conduct that is issued to Kenyans and foreign citizens who don’t have a criminal record. The certificate is furnished to Kenyans that are residing in foreign countries. It is also issued to foreign citizens who are or are not aliens and refugees residing in Kenya.

A police clearance certificate is valid for 12 months, is issued within a period of fourteen (14) days, and shows that the bearer is an upstanding member of society, obeys Kenyan laws, and has not been convicted of a crime.

How can I get cleared by the Police?

By logging into the eCitizen portal, clicking on Directorate of Criminal Investigations and following the on-screen instructions.

Here are the requirements for applying and hopefully getting a certificate of good conduct.

For Kenyan citizens residing within the country

1. The individual has to present him/herself with their original second-generation national identification card and a clear photocopy of the same at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) along Kiambu Road, Muthaiga for residents of Nairobi and Divisional DCI offices for other areas in Kenya. Kenyan passports not accepted.
2. The individual has to pay Kes. 1,000 to Director of Criminal Investigation at Nairobi Kenya and obtain an official receipt.
3. The individual must allow his/her fingerprints and palm prints to be recorded on an official form.

For foreign citizens who are not refugees or aliens

1. The individual has to present him/herself with a certified copy of his/her country’s passport with documentation to prove that he/she has resided in Kenya for 3 months or more
2. The individual must pay an equivalent of Kes. 1,000.00 and obtain an official receipt from the nearest Kenyan foreign mission or submit a cheque payable to Director of Criminal Investigation at Nairobi Kenya.
3. The individual must allow his/her fingerprints and palm prints to be recorded on an official form at the nearest Police Station in his/her current country of residence.
4. The aforementioned documentation must be forwarded with a cover letter from the official fingerprinting agency or Kenyan foreign mission to DCI Headquarters Nairobi.

For foreign citizen who are legal aliens in Kenya

1. The individual must present him/herself with an original and a copy of his/her country’s passport with documentary proof that he/she has been resident in Kenya for 3 months or more.
2. The individual must pay Kes 1,000 and obtain an official receipt from the cashier at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) along Kiambu Road, Muthaiga for residents of Nairobi and the Divisional DCI offices for other areas in Kenya.
3. The individual must allow his/her fingerprints and palm prints to be recorded on a prescribed form (C24 or P20) at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) along Kiambu Road, Muthaiga for residents of Nairobi and the Divisional DCI offices for other areas in Kenya.
4. The application consisting of the aforementioned documents must be forwarded with a cover letter to Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters.
5. Alien ID cards must be verified by the issuing authority (Immigration Department) before processing of the application is allowed.