The Ministry of Interior on Thursday directed all Kenyans who are yet to collect their passports to do so before the lapse of the 6-month deadline.
While making the announcement, the Directorate of Immigration (DIS) notified applicants that failure to collect their passports within the set duration would force the government to dispose them off.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the decision was reached to help the Immigration Department to free up the storage space meant for the processed documents.
The Ministry also noted the directive was in line with the laws and regulations under Section 31 of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act.
"This is in line with the following laws and regulations on the disposal of uncollected goods act and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations on the delivery of travel documents," read part of the notice.
To ease passport delivery, the Immigration Department announced that it had suspended the requirement for applicants to book an appointment to collect their passports.
“We have provided mechanisms to promote transparency, facilitate self-tracking, and provide prompt feedback,” the Immigration Department noted.
Kenyans seeking to know their passport application status were directed to send a Short Message Service (SMS) with their eCitizen tracking number.
The Interior Ministry further stated it had set up dedicated Migrant Labour counters across the country to fast-track passport applications and to facilitate travel for Kenyans pursuing job opportunities outside the country.
"Applicants seeking this service are advised to present their papers, which must include documents of proof of intent issued by the relevant institution," the Ministry of Interior stated.
The latest directive comes barely a month after Hudma Kenya urged Kenyans to report to their various application centres and collect their documents including driving licenses, identification cards and birth certificates.
While making the announcement, Huduma Kenya disclosed that about 45, 575 smart driving licenses were yet to be collected.
