The government, through the Ministry of Interior, has announced the suspension of online passport booking to hasten the collection of thousands of the critical documents.
The Directorate of Immigration in a notice issued on Friday, November 15, advised Kenyans who applied for the passports to collect their documents from the station where they submitted their application.
According to the Immigration Department, there were about 65,000 uncollected passports with Nairobi, Mombasa, Embu, Kisii, Eldoret, and Kisumu leading in the number of centres with uncollected passports.
To support the travel requirements of Kenyans seeking job opportunities outside the country, the government revealed that it had set up dedicated migrant labour counters to fast-track passport applications.
Applicants seeking job opportunities outside the country and in demand of a passport were urged to attach the relevant proof to support the application.
Additionally, the government also noted it had expanded its passport issuance capacity by investing in advanced printers and deploying more staff to meet an ever-growing demand for services.
"The passport collection stations had also been established to provide more service counters and a friendlier environment. These interventions have effectively supported the clearance of the historical backlog of unprinted passports,” the Ministry of Interior stated.
“The Directorate of Immigration has reformed its operations and invested in strategic resources to enhance efficiency. The reforms have targeted speeding up the issuance of passports and other services,” the statement by PS Julius Bitok added.
To further ease the collection of the passports and reduce pressure on workers at Nyayo House Headquarters, the government announced that it opened regional Immigration offices in Kericho and Bungoma to reduce pressure on Nyayo House headquarters. According to the government, additional regional offices would soon be opened in Garissa, Nyeri, and Machakos.
Kenyans were also cautioned against falling for fraudulent individuals who demand bribes or other inducement to help applicants access their passports. The Directorate of Immigration noted that the prescribed fees for passports were listed on its official website.
"We have opened up our processes to self-tracking to enhance transparency and deter corruption. We urge clients to immediately report any attempts at bribery or extortion using provided-for platforms for prompt action," the Ministry of Interior urged Kenyans.
"The DIS has provided mechanisms to promote transparency, facilitate self-tracking, and provide prompt feedback. To find out their passport application status, applicants can send a Short Message Service (SMS)," the ministry added.
