• Kindiki said systems are now aligned after the acquisition of two new printers for personalization of passport details.
• The CS noted that the government is in the process of transforming service delivery, especially in the issuance of the Kenyan passports.
Image: MINA
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has said that the government has put in place measures to the speedy collection and delivery of the final batch of 45,000 passports which are now ready.
The batch is from the over 720,000 passports whose production had been delayed.
Speaking after he visited the Immigration office on Monday, Kindiki said systems are now aligned after the acquisition of two new printers for personalisation of passport details.
He said that this has also been enabled by the delivery of adequate passport booklets.
The CS noted that the government is in the process of transforming service delivery, especially in the issuance of Kenyan passports.
He said this will extend to creating efficiency in the delivery of critical Citizen Services, such as identity documents, and birth certificates, as well as the management of foreign nationals in Kenya.
"Review is ongoing of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act and regulations there under, the Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Management Service Act, the Security Laws (Amendment) Act, the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act, the Refugee Act, the Registration of Persons Act, the Births and Deaths Registration Act and other relevant laws to consolidate and actualise the reform agenda," Kindiki said.
During the Nyayo House visit, they had an interactive tour of various service delivery points including the application, production and collection of the Kenyan passport points.
The CS was accompanied by Immigration and Citizen Services PS Prof Julius Bitok, among other senior officials.
Last week, Kindiki directed the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to ensure 49,500 uncollected passports are delivered and collected within 14 days effective May 10.
He directed the department to roll out a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) to ensure the documents were cleared within the set timeline.
The CS said there are 27,000 uncollected passports in Nairobi, Mombasa (3,000), Nakuru (4,200), Embu (4,500), Eldoret (3,900), Kisumu (3,900), Kisii (3,000) and Kericho (400).
Kindiki said the government has availed adequate resources for passport production with ease, this being part of the reforms initiated in May 2023 to resolve the backlog which then stood at 724,000 passports.
The CS said the streamlining of service delivery at the Immigration Directorate has given way to more efficient passport production and issuance procedures.
Over the past three years, many applicants for passports faced inconveniences occasioned by underfunding, shortage of passport booklets, breakdown of printing equipment, corruption and poor public relations by staff.