Kenyan citizens will now be able to obtain their passports within three weeks, thanks to the government’s receipt of over 100,000 passport blank booklets. Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok stated that the backlog of over 60,000 applicants awaiting their passports will be cleared in just 21 days.
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According to records from the Immigration Department, there are presently 63,265 passport applications pending issuance, with the majority being the popular 34-page A-series. The shortage of passport booklets and an increase in demand for passports, particularly by Kenyans seeking employment abroad and students enrolling in foreign institutions, have caused the backlog.
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PS Bitok has revealed that the government is in discussions with potential investors to invest in local manufacturing of passports to address the issue. “We’re in talks with investors for Public-Private Partnerships (PPT) so that we can manufacture and print these documents here in Kenya,” he said.
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With the new delivery of passport booklets, the backlog of 15,358 A-series, 10,045 B-series, and 37,810 C-series passports that were queued due to the booklet shortage will now be cleared.
Prof. Bitok has urged more Kenyans to use the e-Citizen platform to apply for passports and take advantage of the digitization of government services. “It will take you 21 days to receive your passport if you apply on the e-Citizen platform,” he said on Wednesday.
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