As mandated by the law under the constitution, chapter six on leadership and integrity, every citizen seeking a job should satisfy specific requirements including obtaining a certificate of conduct. Only valid for a year, many line up at the CID headquarters to get the much-needed certificate.

Here’s a look at the process of how to obtain this certificate as well as other essential details, including the validity, cost, requirements, and authenticity of the certificate.

Certificate of Good Conduct: What You Should Know

• Many may assume it’s simply a document that needs to be presented to potential employers, but in fact, it is instead a very vital piece of information that could uplift or drown your chances of getting a job. Regardless of how junior or senior the position is.
• It entails all the necessary information about you including;
• Name
• National Identification number

Police records

Every applicant will be subjected to background checks that will source out any criminal activities you might have been associated with and recorded in the Criminal Records Office (C.R.O.).

The findings will all be recorded on the certificate alongside any form of punishment you were subjected to. In case there are no cases, the slot will remain null.

Requirements for Obtaining a Certificate of Good Conduct

For you to be eligible to apply for this certification, there are certain requirements that have to be met; as a citizen, foreign person, or alien. They are all detailed below.

Requirements for a Kenyan Citizen

• Original ID and clear photocopy.
• Certificate fee of Ksh 1000 payable at the headquarters.
• Fingerprints as well as palm prints.

If you are above the age of 18 but don’t have your ID, present your birth certificate and a valid reason why you don’t have the identification card.

Foreign Citizens Requirements

• Certified copy of the country’s passport and document proof showing you have resided in Kenya for over three months.
• Certification fee of Ksh 1050.

Fingerprints and palm prints

Legal Alien or Refugee Requirements

• Original and one photocopy of the country’s passport.
• Ksh 1,000 certification fee.
• Fingerprints and palm prints.

If one has an alien card, it has to be verified by the immigration department before further processing is done.

How to Apply for Good Conduct Certificate

Once you are sure you have all the above requirements, here’s a step by step guide on how to apply for the certificate.

1. Open an e-Citizen account from their website and head to a section on the certificate of good conduct. It will be along with the main menu tab from the home page.
2. From that page, you should see C24 form that you will be required to fill in all your details. The filling in the form is online, so you can add all the necessary information. The details will need your name, number, and email address.
3. From there, you will be prompted to make a payment amounting to Ksh 1050. That is the certification fee and Mpesa transaction fee. Some places like the cyber cafe may charge you Ksh 1100 to add to their service fee.
4. Once the transaction is successful and complete, you will receive other papers in your email address which you have to download and fill. The papers entail data meant to fill in your fingerprints and palm prints.
5. After filling, you need to present yourself at the CID headquarters In Kiambu road to authenticate the transaction. Remember to carry along with you your original ID and a photocopy.
6. After authentication, your forms will be stamped on both ends and you’ll be sent inside where your fingerprints and palm prints will be taken.
7. The final step will be to wait for a number that will be stamped on your payment receipts. The number will be used to date back your certificate in case any errors or mistakes arise. Otherwise, the certificate should be sent to your email address.

Where Can I Get the Certificate of Good Conduct in Kenya?

The usual place for all the criminal related issues is at the Criminal Investigation Department in Nairobi, Kenya. The precise location is the CID headquarters in Nairobi, Kiambu road, Muthaiga.

If you aren’t in Nairobi, you can also acquire the certificate through divisional CID offices. You will also need to carry the required documents for further processing.

How Long Does a Certificate of Good Conduct Take to Process?

After receiving the waiting number, you will have to wait for two weeks up to about a month. If the certificate is not sent to your email address, there may be an issue that needs clarification.

This means you need to head back to the DCI headquarters and present your waiting number as you await further instructions.

How Can I Determine If a Clearance Certificate is Genuine?

Before the whole e-Citizen platform that allows for online transactions, the certificate was manually picked from the police headquarters, which meant less likelihood of scammed documents.

Contrary to that, some people may report their certificates aren’t genuine, which means the entire process was a lie. If you doubt the certificate found online, you can send a simple SMS with the word DCI to 21546. This will add you to their service.

Then dial *512#, which opens a back to back page that requires your waiting number. Once you submit it, it will highlight all the details relating to that number.

How Long will the Certificate of Good Conduct Remain Valid?

After acquiring the certificate, it will only remain valid and usable for precisely one year. After that, you will have to request a renewal by following the same procedure as stated above. The police department will go back to their books to update the certificate on all your criminal records.

The amount payable will still be Ksh 1050 as that’s the standard certificate fee. Fortunately, once you land your job, you may not need to renew the certificate unless required to.

Can One be Denied the Certificate of Good Conduct?

No, the police state even with the increasing number of certificate applicants, all citizens who applied for it will get them. It will not matter if you have many or few criminal activities, the certificate will highlight all your wrongs.

Mr. Joseph Boinnet further states that the document will be issued irrespective of whether you were convicted, dismissed, acquitted, pending cases, or discharged. The certificate will clearly state the applicant’s status specific to his or her criminal records.

Fortunately, Mr. George Kinoti claims that if the applicant’s cases were appealed successfully, the criminal record would be expunged from their database. Hence, relief for the applicant.

The e-Citizen platform has allowed for fast and reliable ways to get access to government services, including the certificate of good conduct. Even with the anticipated long lines at the headquarters, you can easily cut down your processing time by handing all but fingerprints, online.