Kenyan passport holders have been put on notice to replace their old passports with the newly-launched electronic passports.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’i will today preside over a ceremony that marks the official roll-out of the new passport.
The exercise was set for April before it was postponed by the Immigration Department to September 1st.
The new passport contains an electronic chip with all of the holder’s data, making it more secure.
The new design is also expected to facilitate faster clearance at points of entry and exit.
The processing time for those seeking to get the new passports will be 10 working days, and applications can be made on the government site immigration.ecitizen.go.ke .
Old passports will be phased out for two years after which they will be deemed obsolete.
The e-Passports are an initiative of the East African Community (EAC) and versions of the same are being launched in other member states.
The plan was unveiled by heads of EAC member states at a summit held in Arusha, Tanzania in March 2016.
It is a move also meant to bolster integration efforts in the region.
Kenyans in the diaspora will be able to apply for the new passports through the consulates or embassies in their area. The new passport also features the internationally recognized e-passport symbol on its front cover.
Applicants for the new passport will have to surrender their old ones.
