Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure on Tuesday, November 29, vowed to address challenges surrounding the processing and issuance of passports in the country by citizens seeking to pursue interests abroad.
The CS made an impromptu visit to the National Immigration Department headquarters at Nyayo House to assess the situation and interact with Kenyans seeking services at the usually busy building.
After his interaction with the clients, the CS acknowledged the existence of bottlenecks in the process which he noted were obstacles to efficiency in the delivery of vital services.
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"He stated that the Government will look into the bottlenecks behind the delays and implement the relevant solutions in line with its commitment to promote efficiency in the delivery of essential services to citizens," read a statement from the Ministry.
His visit to the immigration department came amid complaints from a section of Kenyans over delays in the process of acquiring passports in the recent past.
The aggrieved Kenyans took to social media to express their frustrations and dissatisfaction with the long wait they were subjected to at the immigration department.
They protested that the long intervals taken to acquire passports had turned into an obstacle in their efforts to secure employment and education opportunities abroad.
“Please talk to the immigration department of Kenya. How can someone wait for a passport for over a year? These delays lead to missed opportunities in employment, education, things that could help Kenya in the long run,” a social media user stated.
In response to the protracted challenges in the department, Immigration and Citizen Services Director-General Alexander Muteshi cited insufficient funds as one of the challenges contributing to the delays.
He stated that the department needed more funds to increase the number of printers required to fast-track activities surrounding passports and other documents.
On Monday, November 28, President William Ruto directed the Ministry of Interior to expedite the procedure of issuing passports and other identification documents to all Kenyan citizens after similar complaints were raised by members of the pastoralist communities.
The Head of State asked CS Kindiki to work in synergy with the relevant department in ensuring that all citizens have access to the documents in good time.
"We have agreed, as it is captured in our manifesto, that we will offer solutions to the many questions being asked. Prof Kindiki and Aden Duale (Defense CS) are already working on the framework which will be shared in due course," Ruto stated.
