NACOSTI Login: eCitizen Sign-In and the Portal Migration

If you are trying to log in to NACOSTI and your old username and password no longer work, they are not broken. NACOSTI no longer has its own login. Access to the research licensing system now runs through eCitizen, the Kenyan government’s single sign-on. You sign in with your eCitizen account, not with a NACOSTI-specific credential.

This page covers which address to use, how the eCitizen sign-in works, what happened to old accounts, and what to do when sign-in fails. For fees and the application procedure itself, see CASRAI’s guide to the NACOSTI research permit: fees and how to apply.

The correct address — and one you should avoid

There are three NACOSTI-related web addresses in circulation, and only two of them are safe to use right now.

• research-portal.nacosti.go.ke — the Research Information Management System (RIMS). This is where you apply for and manage a research licence. Use this one.
• nacosti.ecitizen.go.ke — NACOSTI’s service page inside eCitizen, used to apply and pay for NACOSTI services through your eCitizen account. Also legitimate.
• www.nacosti.go.ke — NACOSTI’s main public website. At the time of writing this site is compromised and its home page is serving unrelated foreign online-gambling content. This is a genuine current problem, not a fault at your end.

Do not enter your eCitizen credentials, personal details or card details on www.nacosti.go.ke while it is in that state, and do not rely on any figures or instructions shown there. The licensing portal and the eCitizen service run on separate infrastructure and are unaffected. If a search result sends you to the www site, navigate directly to the research portal or to eCitizen instead.

How the eCitizen login works

The RIMS sign-in page no longer asks for a NACOSTI password. It presents an eCitizen sign-in and states plainly that there are “no separate login credentials needed.” The portal describes the arrangement as a “Secure Government Single Sign-On (SSO)” with “identity verified by Government of Kenya,” giving access to multiple government services from one account.

In practice:

1. Go to research-portal.nacosti.go.ke.
2. Choose the option to continue with eCitizen.
3. Sign in with your eCitizen credentials. You are authenticated by eCitizen, then returned to the NACOSTI portal.
4. Your licence applications, drafts and documents are available inside RIMS once you are signed in.

If you do not have an eCitizen account, create one first at accounts.ecitizen.go.ke/register. There is no way to use RIMS without one.

When did this change?

NACOSTI’s application guidelines record a platform migration effective 17 November 2023. Search interest in “NACOSTI eCitizen” has risen sharply since, which fits the pattern of a migration that happened faster than the guidance around it was updated — users discovered the change at the login screen rather than being walked through it.

Payments moved with it. Research licence fees are now paid through the eCitizen payment gateway as part of the online application. There is no separate NACOSTI payment channel and no over-the-counter route.

What happened to my old NACOSTI account?

Here we have to be straightforward about the limits of what is documented. NACOSTI does not publish guidance on how pre-migration accounts carry over. The current login page carries no migration notice, no transition banner, and no explanation of what became of legacy credentials. We are not going to invent a migration path that the Commission has not described.

What is certain is the destination: access is through eCitizen now, and your eCitizen identity is the account that matters. What is not documented is whether historical applications submitted under an older NACOSTI login are automatically visible once you sign in with eCitizen.

If you have prior applications you need to reach, sign in with eCitizen first and check whether they appear. If they do not, contact NACOSTI directly rather than creating duplicate applications — a second application for the same project may mean a second non-refundable fee. Support is available at [email protected], and NACOSTI’s eCitizen service page lists telephone contacts including 020 4007000 and 020 8001077.

Troubleshooting a failed sign-in

• You are entering a NACOSTI password. The most common cause. There is no NACOSTI password any more — only eCitizen credentials. A “forgot password” attempt on the wrong system will not help.
• You do not have an eCitizen account. Register at accounts.ecitizen.go.ke/register before returning to the portal.
• You have more than one eCitizen account. Kenyans sometimes hold separate accounts created against different identity documents. Applications are tied to the account that submitted them, so sign in with the same one each time.
• Foreign researchers: eCitizen registration is built around Kenyan identity documents, and the route for foreign nationals differs. If you cannot complete eCitizen registration from abroad, this is the point to involve your Kenyan affiliating institution — you will need one for the licence application in any case, and their research office handles this regularly.
• You reached a login box on the compromised www site. Leave it. Go to research-portal.nacosti.go.ke directly. If you entered credentials there, change your eCitizen password immediately.

Which NACOSTI surface should I use?

Both legitimate addresses lead to NACOSTI services, and the division between them is not always obvious.

• Use RIMS (research-portal.nacosti.go.ke) for the research licence itself: applying, uploading documents, tracking status, renewing, and downloading the licence.
• Use the eCitizen service page (nacosti.ecitizen.go.ke) to browse and pay for NACOSTI services through your eCitizen account.

Both authenticate against the same eCitizen identity, so you are not maintaining two sets of credentials.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NACOSTI login page?

research-portal.nacosti.go.ke, signing in through eCitizen. Do not use www.nacosti.go.ke, which is currently compromised.

Why won’t my NACOSTI password work?

Because NACOSTI no longer issues one. Sign-in is handled by eCitizen single sign-on, and the portal states that no separate login credentials are needed.

Do I need an eCitizen account to apply for a research licence?

Yes. There is no alternative route into the portal, and fees are paid through the eCitizen gateway.

When did NACOSTI move to eCitizen?

NACOSTI’s guidelines record a platform migration effective 17 November 2023.

Will my old applications still be there?

NACOSTI has not published guidance on this. Sign in with eCitizen and check. If prior applications are missing, contact NACOSTI rather than resubmitting, because fees are non-refundable.

I am not Kenyan. How do I register on eCitizen?

eCitizen registration is designed around Kenyan identity documents and the process differs for foreign nationals. Work through the Kenyan institution providing your affiliation letter, which you need for the licence application regardless.

How do I pay for a NACOSTI research licence?

Through the eCitizen payment gateway, as part of the online application.

Related CASRAI resources

• NACOSTI Research Permit Kenya: Fees and How to Apply — the full fee table by applicant category, required documents, and renewal
• Kenya’s National Research-Ethics Framework: NACOSTI Accreditation
• Kenya Clinical Trial Authorization: The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) Pathway
• NRF Kenya (National Research Fund): Funding Overview
• What Is CUE? Kenya’s Commission for University Education

Sources: NACOSTI Research Information Management System login and application-guidelines pages (research-portal.nacosti.go.ke), accessed August 2026, for the eCitizen single sign-on arrangement, the quoted portal wording, the eCitizen registration route, the support address, and the 17 November 2023 migration date; NACOSTI’s eCitizen service page (nacosti.ecitizen.go.ke) for service access and telephone contacts. The compromise of www.nacosti.go.ke was confirmed by direct observation of live search results in August 2026; that site was not used as a source. NACOSTI publishes no guidance on the treatment of pre-migration accounts, and none is asserted here — readers with historical applications are directed to contact the Commission. For more on this, see CASRAI’s guide to Research.gov login.