The government has asked Kenyans to pick some 58,330 passports that are currently lying uncollected at various immigration offices across the country.
Immigration PS Julius Bitok on Tuesday, March 5, revealed that the uncollected booklets were taking up spaces in the office.
“We urge applicants who have already been notified that their passports are ready to collect them as soon as possible to free up storage space,” the PS said.
He added that Nairobi leads with the highest number of uncollected passports at 24,613, followed by Embu county with 9,584
Kisumu county has 6,087 uncollected passports, Mombasa (5,759), Eldoret (4,538), Nakuru (4,466) and Kisii (3,283).
In a statement, Bitok said the Directorate of Immigration Services has intensified its operations to process and print passports and to clear the backlog of applications that has been occasioned by a surge in demand.
He said applications are being processed on first-in-first-out basis subject to the availability of specific booklets determined by the number of pages paid for by each applicant.
This comes just one month after Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki raised concerns over delays in the issuance of passports.
The CS said that his ministry was concerned with the pain and frustration experienced by many Kenyans seeking passports.
He added that the delay had in some cases seen applicants miss out on important opportunities like jobs and restricted travel for medical care, education, business, or leisure.
The CS highlighted that it has been years of insufficient investment in production infrastructure, accumulating supplier debts, and corrupt practices that have hindered the government’s transformation program for the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services.
However, Kindiki committed to conclusively resolve the challenges surrounding passport issuance, aiming to create efficiency and timely service delivery in the shortest time possible.
The CS said the government is looking for funds to pay outstanding debts.
This, he added, will help to ease passport processing and create efficiency at Nyayo House.
“The government undertakes to conclusively resolve this matter and create efficiency and timely service delivery in the shortest time possible,” he said.
“Arrangements have been made to secure the required funds and settle the outstanding supplier debts,” Kindiki added.
