Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has given Kenyans whose passports are lying at various centers across the country 30 days to collect them.
Speaking during the launch of the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) at the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, Kindiki noted that 87,574 passports have already been printed and are ready for collection.
He further noted that new printers had already been procured to speed up the printing process whose backlog tops 120,000 passports.
The CS, therefore, noted that beginning Monday, September 25, all applicants whose passports are lying at various facilities will have 30 days to pick them up.
"We are commencing a rapid results initiative for the delivery of uncollected passports and all beneficiaries must collect them within the time period specified," he stated.
"This period will start running from Monday, September 25, to allow members of the public receive adequate notices as to the availability of their passports and the place it is lying and the notice to collect those passports."
He added that the passports that were already ready for collection had been printed as far back as three months ago.
Nairobi recorded the highest number at 36,170 while Mombasa had 5,424.
"From where we sit, over 120,000 passports which ought to have been produced by now. Technically, that backlog ought to be cleared. However, we are not in a position to audit the system and make sure the entire historical backlog is gone until we release to the public all the uncollected passports that are ready," he added.
"Every week, we are going to publicise in the media, website, the state department for immigration website and social media, all the applicants who must collect their passports the following week," he added, indicating that the names will be published every Wednesday.
The decision was informed by the Ministry's plan to decongest Nyayo House and other centers and ensure a seamless process of acquiring a passport in Kenya.
Among the changes included the revision of the working hours in the passport printing offices to run between 7:00am and 9:00pm to maximise service delivery.
The CS also conducted impromptu visits to the offices to ensure the government introduces policies to dissuade idlers who typically hang around immigration offices from doing so to enable smoothen service delivery.
