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CS Kindiki orders clearance of 49,500 passports within 14 days

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki. (X/Ministry of Interior and National Administration)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Out of the 49,500 passports, Nairobi leads with 27,000 uncollected passports followed by Embu at 4,500 and Nakuru with 4,200.

The State Department of Immigration has been directed to initiate a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) aimed at clearing the uncollected passports.

On Tuesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki ordered the department to clear 49,500 passports that were part of the historic backlog of 724,000.

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"The directorate needs to ensure the 49,500 are delivered and collected within fourteen (14) days with effect from May 10, 2024," he said in a statement.

Out of the 49,500 passports, Nairobi leads with 27,000 uncollected passports followed by Embu at 4,500 and Nakuru with 4,200.

Eldoret and Kisumu follow with 3,900 undelivered passports, Mombasa and Kisii at 3,000 and Kericho with 400.

Interior CS noted that the department has revamped its passport production and issuance procedures, marking a decisive step towards more efficient service delivery.

"The reforms initiated in May 2023 have resolved the backlog on the production and issuance of passports," he said.

NYAYO HOUSE, NAIROBI, KENYA
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024

1. The streamlining of service delivery at the Immigration Directorate has given way to more efficient passport production and issuance procedures. During the past three (3) years, many applicants of the Kenyan passports have… pic.twitter.com/PjS7TEO8oC
— Kithure Kindiki (@KindikiKithure) April 30, 2024

This transformation, according to the CS, comes after three years of challenges faced by applicants, including underfunding, shortages of passport booklets, equipment breakdowns, corruption, and poor public relations.

Kindiki affirmed that the government has availed adequate resources for passport production.

He noted that currently there are sufficient stocks of passport booklets and new modern high-capacity printers have been acquired for personalisation of passport details.

Addressing why Kenyans are unable to apply for and collect their passports at the moment, the Directorate of Immigration Services said the technical challenge affecting their systems is being resolved.

A team of engineers has been deployed to work through the evening (Tuesday) until it is fixed.

Earlier in the day, the department said it was experiencing downtime in its passport application receiving system and collection service.

"We regret to inform our clients that we are currently experiencing a downtime that has affected our normal passport application receiving and collection services," the department said on X.

However, the department said all affected applicants will be provided alternative dates as soon as possible.