The government has extended the deadline for the use of old passport to March 1 2021, due to poor turn out for migration.
Earlier, the government had stated that March 1, 2020, would be the deadline.
The statement released on Monday from the Interior CS Fred Matiang'i said the extension will be the last after which the old passports will no longer be valid for travelling.
"We note with concern that 1.8 million Kenyans, mostly in the diaspora are yet to replace their old [passports with the East African community biometric e-passport," he said.
The CS added that the government's plans to achieve the same-day issuance of passports by July 2020 are still underway.
Other than Nairobi, four more immigration service centres have been opened in Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret and Embu.
The ministry said six immigration centres have also been opened in the diaspora to rationalise the issuance of the new generation passports ahead of the deadline.
The CS said e-passport centres mounted in Washington DC and Dubai are already working.
The government has advised citizens in the diaspora to take advantage of the extra time provided to access the correct travel documents to avoid any inconveniences.
The US Embassy in Nairobi said in April 2020 that Visa applicants may apply for a US visa with a non-digital Kenyan passport. After which they will place a US visa in a non-digital passport until further notice.
The new generation passport was launched in 2017 with more security features than the old one.
In January this year, the Kenyan passport was ranked the eighth most powerful in Africa giving holders access to 71 destinations without obtaining a prior visa.
It has equally strengthened in the latest global ranking where it has moved two places to position 72 out of 107 countries, in the latest 2020 Henley Passport Index ranking released on Tuesday.
It was ranked position 74 globally in last year July's (quarter three) report when citizens could leave the country to 70 destinations without first processing a visa.
